I 



^ 



3/// 



LIFE IN WASHINGTON. 



I 



DUi^tu^ ^.x^^yJj (uL/^-vu^^ ) M'^ f^**^^ 



LIFE 



IN 



WASHINGTON, 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 



^^//-^ >^^ ^' ^ 



MARY J. "^ 



^Ss-^l^i 



AUTHOR OF "LEGENDS OF THE WALDEN. ES, "TRUia AND FANCY," "UFE 
AT THE WHITE SULPHXIR," ETC. 



" We have one human heart : 
All mortal thoughts confess a common home." 

Shellet. 



PHILADELPHIA: 

J. B. LIPPINCOTT & CO. 

1859. 




Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1858, by 

In the Clerk's Office of the District Cotu t v2 Ihe United States for the District 
of Columbia. 



TO 

MISS NARCISSA P. SAUNDEUS, 

OP NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE, 

AS A TRIBUTE OF SINCERE REGARD AND PERSONAL 
FRIENDSHIP, 

THIS VOLUME 



1* 



PREFACE. 



This book is neither more or less than it 
pretends to be ; a collection of miscellaneous 
and wayward sketches, which have already 
had some publicity in the leading journals of 
Charleston, S. C. I have endeavored to avail 
myself of various corrections and alterations 
suggested by known and unknown friends in 
the hope of rendering my book as worthy as 
possible of your indulgence. If it relieves a 
passing hour of solitude or discomfort ; short- 
ens a dreary evening, or makes a rainy day 
more endurable, I am repaid. I speak not of 
the greater happiness of knowing that my in- 
most thoughts find their echo in your hearts, 
awakening pleasant emotions and generous 
aspirations. 

Washington City, ) 
November, 1858. j 



CONTENTS, 



PAGE 

Appearance of the City at the Opening of Congress 13 

Scene in the Senate and House on the First day of the Session 16 

Miss Pyne in Opera 19^ 

Snow-storm 22 

Death of Mrs. Daniels — Speech of Stevens, of Georgia 24 

Entertainment at Mrs. 27 

Senate-Chamber — General Houston — Mr. Crittenden and Mr. 

Pugh '. 30 

Entertainment at Secretary McClelland's 34 

House Speech of Colonel Keitt 40 

President's Levee 43 

Snow-Storm — Mr. Corcoran's Gallery — Milton at the Organ — 

Painting by Mr. Washington — Greek Slave 47 

Death of Mr. Brooks 51 

Sketch of the Children 54 

Senate-Chamber — Judge Butler 58 

Party at Secretary Guthrie's 61 

Senate-Chamber — Judge Douglas 65 

Willard's Hotel— Rainy Day 68 

Senate-Chamber — General Cass — Mr. Toombs, and Judge 

Iverson 71 

Elegant Entertainment at Governor Aiken's 73 

Scene in the House — A Winter in Washington 83 

Dinner Parties — Change of Administration 85 

Riggs &Co.'8Bank 89 

(ix) 



X CONTENTS. 

PAGE 

Entertainment at Mrs. Watterston's 92 

Fourth of March — Inaugural of Mr, Buchanan 96 

Trip to New York 102 

On the Delaware — Arrival at New York 105 

New York Hotel — Visit to Ball and Black's Jewelry Esta- 
blishment 108 

Party at an Up-Town Fashionable's Ill 

Dinner Party 114 

Visit to a New York Country-Seat 117 

Evening at a New York Conversazione 121 

Our Birth-Place — Walk on the Brandywine 127 

Visit to Father's Grave — Early Recollections 131 

IJeflections on New York — Contrast with Washington 136 

Washington in May — Music in the President's Grounds 138 

Close of the Season 142 

Death of Judge Butler 144 

Art Association — Italian Bandit 147 

The Intelligencer Dog 150 

.Summer Boarding 153 

Summer Heat and Dust 158 

Journey to the White Sulphur Springs IGl 

Change of Proprietors 166 

Dress Ball at Wliite Sulphur 169 

Scene in the Parlor after Breakfast — Mr. Colwell 173 

Rainy Day at the White Sulphur 177 

Flirtation in the Parlor.. 180 

Guests' Daguerreotype — Fancy Ball 184 

Dress Ball- Miss K.— Lieut. Maury 188 

Bail-Room — Married Ladies 190 

Scene in the Parlor — Mr. Pickens 194 

Count Sartiges — Judge Wayne 198 

Love Scene in the Parlor 201 

Visit to the Red Sweet 204 

Scene at the Red Sweet 207 

Editor of the "Richmond South" 211 

End of the Season 214 



CONTENTS. XI 

PAGE 

Washington Editors — Mr. Gales 217 

Union Office— Mr. Harris 221 

South Carolina Editors — Mr. Khett — Editor of tlic News — 

Yorkville Enquirer 225 

The Capitol and its Rotunda 228 

Department of the Interior — Secretary Thompson 233 

Congressional Library 238 

Opening of the Session — Mr. Benton — The Central America..241 

Smithsonian Institute Lectures — John B. Gough 245 

Entertainment at Gov. Brown's 249 

Child's Fancy Party 255 

Entertainment at Governoi' Floyd's 260 

Senate-Chamber — Mr. Davis 264 

Entertainment at Secretary Thompson's 268 

President's Levee 271 

Miss Saunders's Ball 276 

Senate-Chamber 281 

Entertainment at Sir William Gore Ouseley's 285 

Senate-Chamber 289 

Scene in the House — Mr. Miles's Speech — Mr. Orr 292 

Party at the National Hotel 297 

Turkish Admiral at the President's Levee 301 

President's Levee — A. V. Brown, Postmaster-General 305 

Scene in the House — Reunion at the Postmaster-General's... 310 

Senate-Chamber — Pension Bill 313 

Party at Lord Napier's — Funeral of Miss Dahlgreen 316 

Scene in the House 320 

Brilliant Entertainment at Lord Napier's on Victoria's Birth- 
day 322 

Bridal Party at Judge Black's, on the Occasion of his Daugh- 
ter's Marriage 329 

Scene in the Senate-Chamber — The Kansas Vote 332 

Children's May-Ball 336 

Evening Party to Mr. Everett at Lord Napier's 341 

Social Parties — Scene in the House on the Test Vote on the 
Kansas Question 845 



J 



Xll CONTENTS. 

PAGE 

Scene in the House on the Day of Adjournment 351 

Close of the Season 354 

Sojourn at the Virginia Springs — Sen. Bates — Col. Hayne — 

Prof. Bledsoe— Prof. Pratt 357 

Dress Ball— Miss H.— Mrs. Hinston 361 / 

Public Men — Scene in the Gallery 366 / 

Scene on the Lawn — English Lord Incog 370 

Appearance of the Avenue — Harper & Mitchell's — Gait's 374 

Death of Sir Gore Ouseley's Son 378 

Closing Sketch 382 



LIFE IN WASHINGTON, 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 



I. 

APPEARANCE OF THE CITY AT THE OPENING OF CONGRESS. 
Washington, November, 1856. 

Congress opens on Monday next, and our city 
gives notice of its near approach by the usual pre- 
monitory symptoms. The streets and the people 
have an air of fete and expectancy. Shop windows 
display more than their customary attractions. New 
wares and elaborate habiliments for belle and beau 
are artfully and invitingly set forth to view. Hotels 
have their reinforcements of waiters and runners — 
some lounging round the brick-faced Babylon, and 
some thrown out like scouts in advance of a position, 
while long lines of posted play-bills show that all the 
amusements of the "season" have commenced. 

The gregarious instinct which annually assembles 
in this "Mecca" for winter pilgrims its migratory 

2 



14 LIFE IN WASHINGTON, AND 

crowd, is impelling thitherward a streaming popu- 
lation. Baggage-wagons roll over the tormented 
stones, exhibiting a complication of patent-leather 
boxes, of such curious novelties of construction, as 
though the trunkmaker had been working a pro- 
blem. Washington is already thronged with claim- 
ants, expectants, reporters, and — would you believe 
it ? — (I know you won't, for the fact seems too great 
an enormity,) office-seekers. 

Yes, dear distant reader, our city is already 
thronged with men having no other business here 
than to solicit remuneration for their votes at the 
last election. Some come to ask anything ; some to 
ask everything ; some to ask nothing — but only to 
make it known that something would be extremely 
acceptable. One declares that he cares not a fig 
for reward himself, but his friends will not let him 
rest until he prefers his claims ; another thinks it 
his duty to offer his services where he feels he might 
be of use to the public ; a third abhors the idea of 
office, but he has a sincere regard for Mr. Buchanan, 
and would accept any little post with three thousand 
a year, just to oblige him ! 

And to hear them talk, you would conclude they 
have the whole weight of the last campaign on their 
shoulders. There are some two or three who have 
been the prime cause of Mr. Fremont's defeat — they 
have documents to prove it. 

Alas ! for the distinguished Pennsylvanian ! 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 15 

Though of such moral magnitude that he is unable 
to eat a sandwich without being pennj-a-lined into a 
paragraph ; yet Sinbad, with the old man of the sea 
on his despairing back, is the symbol of his condi- 
tion. 

Our city on Thanksgiving evening presented a gay 
and spirit-stirring scene. The dwellings in the prin- 
cipal streets were illuminated in honor of our recent 
victory. In most of these friends had been invited 
for the occasion; and the brilliantly lighted rooms 
presented a beautiful appearance. In many of them 
the balustrades were lined with spectators, those of 
the lower rooms with guests, in rich dress, and in 
the upper department with the domestics, — exhibit- 
ing a spectacle which could not easily be equaled. 

The evening closed with a fine display of fire- 
works. Stars were flung flaming from exploded 
rockets. Fiery serpents darted into the air with 
the grace of winged arrows, and then floated down 
through the dewy atmosphere in clusters of starry 
showers. 

The English Opera Troupe appear on Tuesday 
evening. Our musical world are anticipating a good 
deal of silvery warbling from Miss Pyne's exquisite 
throat. 

The latest on dit of the day here is, that Gen. 
Cass has been tendered a seat in the Cabinet, and 
has accepted it. 



16 LIFE IN WASHINGTON, AND 



II. 

SCENE IN THE SENATE AND HOUSE ON THE FIRST DAY OF THE 

SESSION. 

■Washington, December, 1856. 

December set in yesterday, bright and sunny as 
this most deceptions month occasionally does, as if to 
add unnecessary bitterness to the biting blasts of its 
successor. 

Everything seemed to greet old Winter joyfully. 
The public grounds wore a summer smile ; even the 
stones seemed to demonstrate their joy, receiving the 
wheels with a cold, hard, yet hilarious sound of wel- 
come. The radiant faces of those practical geogra- 
phers called hack-drivers, testified their welcome as 
they rattled along. 

We doubt whether Napoleon felt half so trium- 
phant on his road to Paris, at the close of his Italian 
campaign. We were one of the throng who were, 
on this day, attracted to the Capitol to witness the 
opening of the session. There was no change in the 
exterior of the dreary passage we traversed on our 
way to the Senate-chamber. We ascended the same 
chilly stone steps ; passed along the same mouse-trap 
gallery, with its covering of half obliterated oil-cloth, 
and were admitted by the same polite door-keeper. 

Within the Chamber not an object had been al- 
tered. The same Speaker's chair and crimson hang- 
ing ; the same face of Washington overlooking all ; 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 17 

the same bright Turkish carpet, well-stuffed arm- 
chairs, and rose-wood desks, the last gleaming with 
a little more polish ; the self-same reporters, with 
fresh sheets of wire-wove before them, and pens 
pointed to second the movements of the Thirty-third 
Congress ; the same J9€^^Yg pages, only a little in- 
creased lengthways. The desks exhibited the same 
process of mind-mongery ; the same loads of papers, 
petitions, circulars, uncut copies of magazines, and 
out-of-the-way letters, — one asking for autographs ; 
another from a fond mother, recommending some 
miracle of a son for a place under government ; and 
a third urging the speedy settlement of the French 
claims, — penalties which public men have to pay for 
distinction. 

We were struck with the different aspect of the 
desks; on some the papers were arranged with much 
precision, while others looked careless and desultory, 
as if in a state of siege. On one the papers were so 
multifarious as to afford no ground for concluding 
with any confidence the owner's political creed; 
while on another a copy of the Tribune^ that lay 
among other straggling journals, lets you fully into 
its owner's politics — the exactest possible type of 
his creed. 

When we entered, the newly-arrived Senators were 
exchanging salutations — dislocating each other's 
wrists in token of amity. The honorable Senator 

from even went to the frantic extremity of giv- 

2* 



18 LIFE IN WASHINGTON, AND 

ing his whole hand, instead of the customary three 
jBngers. Apropos of this distinguished gentleman 
and his companion from Massachusetts, who officiate 
together as the minute-hand and hour-hand of the 
same dial — they both seem a little lowered from 
their pedestal by the defeat of Mr. Fremont. The 
face of the former is more rigidly grave, while his 
companion — the bold, the successful, the trium- 
phant, who "draws out Leviathan with an hook, and 
bores the jaw of Behemoth with a thorn," — looked 
thoroughly cast down. 

At 12 o'clock, the Senate was called to order by 
Senator Bright in the chair. After some delay, a 
committee was constituted to wait upon the Presi- 
dent. This, with the reception of a message from 
the House, closed the business of the day, and at 
one o'clock the Senate adjourned. 

Passing over to the House, we found every nook 
and corner of the galleries alive with bright eyes, 
intent upon the scene below — a debate between two 
members ; one healing poor Kansas' wounds with 
balsams and unguents, while the other was trying 
the probe and astringents, under the impression that 
momentary torture sometimes produces lasting cures. 

The presentation of Mr. Whitfield, delegate from 
Kansas, had brought down the anathemas of the Re- 
publicans, and when we entered, an honorable mem- 
ber from — — was sitting in critical judgment upon 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 19 

the South — extinguishing her public men by a home- 
thrust, and carving her delegates into mince-meat. 

The gas-lamps are lighted; a brown fog is gather- 
ing over the streets, and blending itself with falling 
shades of night ; while loud over all the din of wheels 
is heard the vociferous cry, "President's Message," 
"President's Message." 



III. 

Miss PYNE IN OPERA. 

Washington, December, 1856. 

The bills yesterday announced "La Somnambula," 
by the English Opera Troupe. The morning opened 
with a drizzling rain, and it was only toward noon 
that the sun made a supercilious attempt to shine 
on the sloppy streets, as though it considered them 
scarcely worthy of the effort. Opera-goers had scru- 
tinized every cloud as an omen, and had exaggerated 
every streak of blue perceptible in the sky into cer- 
tain evidences of clearing up, till at last the weather 
did clear up, and by seven o'clock the large theatre 
was filled with a select and appreciative audience. 

The overture commenced ; parties nodded to each 
other and smiled; ladies adjusted their opera cloaks 
and crumpled the play-bills ; box doors opened and 
shut with slams, and dandies looked round with their 
"lorgnettes." The beginning of the first scene was 



20 LIFE IN WASHINGTON, AND 

accompanied by perpetual exclamations of "First 
party," "Second row," "Take a bill, sir." Of 
course, it escaped unheard. The audience was 
hushed into silence, however, when, with a skip and 
a bound, Miss Pyne, as Amina, appeared before the 
foot-lights, a torrent of song pouring from her snowy 
throat. How shall we give our readers an idea of 
all the versatility embodied in her opening song. 
Trills of the most fairy-like delicacy, more ethereal 
than you would suppose it possible for human voice 
to produce, she flung out in sparks of music with a 
triumphant glee. A lark seemed cutting through 
the sky, pouring forth his joy in such a gush of song 
that the rapid notes seemed to trip each other up in 
eagerness of utterance. Mr. Harrison, as Elpino, 
was like one inspired. In the song " Still so gently 
o'er me stealing," his magnificent voice brought down 
the house in thunders of applause. 

In political circles the absorbing topic of discus- 
sion is the removal of some score of Know-Nothings, 
who have for the last year filled subordinate positions 
in the House. 

The vacancies have been filled by Black Republi- 
cans. 

The "House" is still in the confusion of Babel. 
The Southern members look as if they were cut in 
granite, while the Republicans are sending squibs 
and crackers at them. They are deaf and dumb to 
all the efforts of the former to bring up Mr. Whit- 



LIFE HERB AND THERE. 21 

field, and will continue so until the arrival of some 
dozen absentees will give them a majority for his 
support. Their presence will, we hope, prove a 
cruse of oil for the surface of those stormy waves. 

There has lately appeared here a weekly journal, 
(literary,) tall, slender, with a huge head by way 
of prospectus, and the smallest limbs in the way of 
advertisements, that any poor newspaper ever stood 
upon. And yet this attenuated journal has a ple- 
thoric title. It is called the "Weekly Bee." How 
long it will drag on its existence we know not. 

Since the last session of Congress but few changes 
have taken place in the "Senate" and "House." A 
few ephemeral reputations have sprung up like Jonah's 
gourd; a few disappeared from the face of the earth, 
leaving only colossal skeletons behind. 

The political aspect of things here will greatly em- 
barrass social intercourse this winter. It is already 
beginning to manifest itself with the families of newly 
arrived members. It is impossible not to recur to 
the lines of Coleridge, so hackneyed by perpetual 
citation : — 

"They stand aloof, the scars remaining 
Like cliffs which have been rent asunder ; 
And neither heat, nor frost, nor thunder, 
Shall wholly do away, I ween, 
The wrecks of that which once hath been." 



22 LIFE IN WASHINGTON, AND 

IV. 

SNOW-STORM. 

Washington, December, 1856. 

Evening is rapidly closing in — a bitter, cold, 
ungenial evening ; a biting northeast wind roars 
hoarsely in the chimneys, and moans through the 
leafless branches of the trees; while light flakes of 
snow are whirling and dancing in the atmosphere, 
making the surrounding objects appear doubly dark 
and dingy ; the pavements are covered with an icy 
sleet ; the gas-lamps burn dimly ; and the few pedes- 
trians who are abroad hurry onward with their 
mouths buried under comforters, or amid the folds of 
their overcoats. 

It has been intensely cold all the week, and the 
icy sleet seems to reflect the bitter air up through 
the soles of your feet to your very heart. On the 
long terrace-ranges of the Capitol, where, on still sum- 
mer nights, one can hear one's feet echo, and scent 
hawthorn at every step, the wind now quakes with 
a shiver, and whistles round the jutting corners of 
the huge building with sobs and wailings. The 
boisterous, bustling, blowing, chilling winter, — ugh ! 
it makes us shiver to think of it. But yet it brings 
its own peculiar pleasures. The patron saint of 
little people, whose name is associated with toy-shops 
and sugar-plums, is lavishly distributing his annual 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 23 

gifts in all right-thinking nurseries. Lisping Peter 
Parleyites and sweet baby-pets are on the tip-toe of 
expectation, the blood tingling in their veins, away 
down to the tips of their nice fat little fingers. Oh, 
those rare bright days, the days of our childhood ! 
There were full a score of nurseries, in which no 
hour of day or night would have found us other than 
a welcome guest. We had friends within those nur- 
sery walls, who were not hospitable in words alone, 
suffering each other's presence with well-concealed 
" ennxd^' but friends in something more than in 
the name. In vain, among the cold conventionali- 
ties of life, shall we look for the warm and heart- 
felt welcome, the unrestrained familiarity of inter- 
course, which was part and parcel of our childish 
life. 

Though it is the season of the year when Christ- 
mas cheer and Christmas charity should brighten all 
around, yet impending Christmas bills — those long, 
narrow papers which the French call a '"'• memoir e^'^ 
as being the things of all others people are most 
likely to forget — make the holidays a trying time 
for people's temper. It is an epoch, when the gap 
which defies the best endeavors of people of small 
and precarious incomes to make both ends meet, is 
apt to neutralize the promise of peace and good-will 
toward men, which ought to sanctify the primeval 
festival of the Christmas year. 

The streets do not present their usual gay and 



24 LIFE, IN WASHINGTON, AND 

animated appearance ; indeed, the slippery sidewalks 
render personal locomotion a rather critical exercise. 
Corpulent gentlemen may be seen walking with won- 
derful placidity, making no one movement of body 
that is not absolutely necessary to the task of pro- 
gress, and holding themselves up, so to speak, within 
their habiliments, as if they and it, though unavoid- 
able companions on the same journey, were by no 
means intimate or willing associates. If a little 
snow-bird hops down upon the icy footwalks before 
them, they pause until it hops off again, so resolute 
are they to enter into conflict with no living creature. 
To dispute the path in any other manner is out of 
the question. 

The opening levee of the season is announced 
for New- Year's Day at the Executive mansion. 



DEATH OF MRS. DANIELS— SPEECH OF STEVENS, OF GEORGIA. 
Washington, January, 1857. 

The last twenty-four hours have shaken, from 
their mourning pinions, heavy sorrow on one of our 
homes. Mrs. Daniels, lady of Judge Daniels, of the 
Supreme Court, was, last evening, so shockingly 
burned, by her clothes accidentally taking fire, as 
to produce death in a few hours. 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 25 

Death, whenever it comes, is sudden, a shock 
always stunning, always overwhelming. But death 
in perfect health — full of life, without any previous 
sickness to sharpen the cheek or waste the frame ; 
the awful hand of Omnipotence laid upon all the 
currents of life, saying "Peace, be still!" and in a 
moment, as it were, the beautiful organization, with 
all its physical and mental perfection, becomes a 
mere image of clay, — this is a vision of death in 
all its horrors. 

A few short hours have severed the ties of years, 
hidden under the cold, damp earth features which 
beamed in health and joy from every accustomed 
haunt ; the young mother is removed directly from 
the domestic circle to the narrow grave, missed from 
her usual seat — missed, but to be remembered only 
as gone forever. No intervening period of depend- 
ence on the part of the suffering, of unremitting 
attention and increased affection from friends, has 
taken place to partially prepare them for the last 
dread change, the final separation. Who may speak 
the agonies of such a death ? 

******** 

It had been rumored throughout this city — told in 
the drawing-rooms of the hotels, in the private parlors, 
and in the public saloons — that " Stevens, of Geor- 
gia," was to speak on Tuesday of the present week, 
on the all-absorbing topic of slavery. At an early 
hour the galleries were filled to overflowing with 

3 



26 



the families of our distinguished statesmen, mem- 
bers of the foreign legations, and dashing belles, 
with a sprinkling here and there of our best resi- 
dents. 

As we passed through the lobbies we were struck 
with the deep and reverential silence that pervaded 
the House. That vast crowd of listening faces were 
turned toward a shrunken and attenuated figure, 
the shoulders contracted and drawn in, the face 
dead and of the color of ashes. There was some- 
thing grand in the mere spectacle of this shadowy 
figure, binding up the very breath of the House in 
a hush so silent. 

When we entered, the speaker was pouring out a 
continuous volume of thought and language — argu- 
ing, defining, illustrating. He had little variety of 
gesture, and what he used seemed perfectly un- 
studied. He was evidently so thoroughly absorbed 
in his subject as to be quite unconscious that he had 
hands and arms to manage. As he proceeded, he 
occasionally raised one hand, and then suddenly 
struck it down with extraordinary force. 

Before concluding, his whole manner changed. 
His tones grew solemn as he reviewed his political 
life. He spoke of the measures he had aided to 
pass — of his part in the Compromise of 1850. 
Then, in a strain of matchless eloquence, he pro- 
claimed his fidelity to the union of these States. 

He soared above the commonplaoes of public speak- 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 27 

ing ; he rose above the mere politician, and declared 
his faithfulness to the principles on which our Union 
is framed ; his faithfulness to the institutions which 
distribute the validity, while they secure the unity of 
the whole. 

As he proceeded, his unearthly face seemed to 
brighten into fuller and ghostlier meaning ; his at- 
tenuated form seemed to dilate; his voice seemed 
exalted to a trumpet-tone. The Speaker's hammer 
descended in the midst of this impassionated burst, 
leaving an impression upon the tingling ears of his 
auditors which many will carry to their graves. 

This speech is considered a master-piece, pure, 
lofty, dignified, leaving an impression on the public 
mind of the patriotic motives of the speaker. 



VI. 

ENTERTAINMENT AT MRS. . 

Washington, January, 1857. 

The drawing-rooms of Mrs. (excuse the 

name) were, last evening, resplendent. The clear, 
sharp light of the gas flooded the rooms from the 
cut-glass globes of the elaborate chandeliers; the 
hangings of crimson damask were drawn closely 
across the windows ; French toys and vases of hot- 
house flowers littered the tables. In the dressing- 
room hall a dozen high-bred domestics moved about 



28 



as noiselessly as though thej had been shod with 
felt. 

In the supper-room, a cloud of light irradiated a 
a table that reminded one of the pictured gorgeous- 
ness of "Belshazzar's Feast." 

The company was an ingenious amalgamation, 
the perfection of '^ reunions.'' Among the various 

concomitants was Mr. , who, when deigning to 

handle the pen, considers literature much the obliged 

party; and also the "member" from , who 

makes us laugh at caricatures of our individual 
selves. 

We could not but be struck with the swan-like 
grace and dazzling fairness of the lovely hostess, 
who glided from guest to guest, breathing to each 
some acceptable phrase or comment. This lady has 
one of those happy dispositions which cannot be 
persuaded that anything wrong or gloomy exists in 
the world ; she sees everything on its bright side. 
Her husband is chained to the galley of politics, 
and, being blessed with a somewhat irritable disposi- 
tion, he is always getting into some difficulty. Any 
other man would have been worried into his coffin 
ten years ago ; but his wife smooths down his ruffled 
feathers with so gentle and so unostentatious a hand 
that he scarcely recognizes his misfortunes. 

About eleven o'clock silence was enjoined, for 
Miss , a lady whose voice would suffice to in- 
sure her immortality, had been prevailed upon to 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 29 

sing one of those exquisite melodies which form a 
distinguishing feature of Burns's poetry. It was a 
performance which spoke far more fervently to the 
feelings of the company than the most labored pro- 
fessional exhibition. All stood entranced while she 
breathed that simple strain of Scotia's bard, which 
she had adapted to a melody of her own, and sang 
with a voice as sweet as a shepherd's pipe. 

Before adjourning to the supper-room a gentle- 
man appeared who seemed to produce quite a sensa- 
tion. Belles claimed his acquaintance with nods 
and becks and wreathed smiles. There were so 
many anxious hopes that he would not sujBfer from 
the dampness of the evening, so many regrets that 
the weather should have proved so unpropitious, and 
so many entreaties that he would occupy one par- 
ticular chair, where he would be protected from the 
draft on the opening of the door. Why, it was per- 
fectly delightful to contemplate the interest which 
he seemed to create in the breasts of his attentive 
and anxious friends. And the invitations heaped 
upon him ; if he profits by the lavish offers, he might 
dine for five hundred days to come at the expense 
of the public in general, and travel on borrowed 
wheels to the ''Cataract of Upper Egypt," without 
the expenditure of a single seed of corn. 

The innocent object of these overwhelming atten- 
tions seemed quite amazed. Not Shakspeare's Crook- 
back, after his successful suit to the Lady Anne, 



30 LIFE IN WASHINGTON, AND 

could be more smitten with astonishment at the dis- 
covery of his own unsuspected attractions. And yet 
he was wise enough to take things as he found them, 
without instituting an inquiry as to motives. He 
was all courtesy, all bland and smiling gratitude. 

Our obtuse intellect at last fathomed the secret of 
this adulation. This gentleman, dear public, has 
very recently fallen heir to a fortune. He would 
have been edified, could he learn by spirit-rapping, 
the inquiries and discussions, as to the amount of the 
newly-acquired wealth, which followed his exit. Oh, 
the power — the mightiest power in our country — 
the power of money ! 



VII. 

SENATE-CHAMBER— GENERAL HOUSTON— MR. CRITTENDEN AND 
MR. PUGH. 

Washington, January, 1857. 

Mr. , the Canning of the Republican party, 

spoke two hours this morning, and defended with 
great zeal the liberal principles of his candidate, 
whom he evidently regards as the Napoleon of free- 
dom — the egg that is to bind together the jarring in- 
gredients of the American pudding. The speech of 
this gentleman was a grotesque compound, including 
here a panegyric on Mr. Fremont, and there a fling 



LIFE IIEllE AKD TUEllE. 31 

at Mr. Buchanan ; here a threat of what they would 
do in 1860, and there a ferocious attack upon South 
Carolina. 

During the delivery of this medley we were struck 
with the attitude and employment of the different 
Senators ; some sat listening in silent wonder, as 
they would to the ranting of a Sir Giles Overreach ; 
others might be seen shifting their figures into all 
sorts of restless attitudes, looking at their watches or 
reading by snatches the newspapers ; some settled 
themselves in their arm-chairs with letters from home, 
and appeared to take no sort of interest in any out- 
ward event. Sitting on the step near the Speaker's 
chair, was a sweet-faced little page, busily engaged 
in gambling with himself, by tossing up a penny. 
Another open-eyed little fellow, with a soft shadow 
of reverie in his mild face, sat patiently looking at 
the speaker, striving apparently to comprehend the 
substance of what he was saying. 

The Senator from Mississippi seemed to be assidu- 
ously employed in shaping a fragment of wood into 
some desired form, the floor adjacent being covered 
with a chaos of whittlings. 

The Senator from South Carolina was lounging in 
his chair with closed eyes, and certain drowsy and 
somniferous symptoms led us to suppose the monoto- 
nous tone had lulled him into a doze ; but an allu- 
sion to his State by the speaker entirely destroyed 
the truth of our supposition, for, in spite of the indi- 



32 



cations of drowsiness, the closed eyes suddenly stared 
out from under the lock of silvery hair with unusual 
wakefulness and sagacity of expression, saying, as 
plainly as eyes could speak, they were not asleep, 
and had not been asleep, and never intended to go 
to sleep, when Carolina was in danger of being tra- 
duced. 

As the attack on his State continued, the honor- 
able Senator became restless and excited, twitched, 
fidgeted, arose, shook himself, and, in a sharp, ring- 
ing tone, asked to be heard in reply. With ready 
fluency he placed the matter in its proper light, 
proved his State clear of the charge, and, with an 
air of dignified contempt, left the Chamber. 

Finer subjects for pen-painting it would not be easy 
to find than some of the faces before us, and we pro- 
pose to point out to our distant readers the appear- 
ance and traits of those forming the first deliberative 
body in the world. On the left hand of the entrance 
door our roving eye rests upon as formidable a look- 
ing person as any captain of banditti in Mrs. Rad- 
clifi"s novels. You can see that this gentleman (Gen. 
Houston) has a contempt for conventionalities ; for 
he ties his neckcloth in a very clumsy bow, and wears 
a tiger-skin vest, built as if for an Arctic expedition. 
His face is almost covered with menacing whiskers 
of an iron-gray color; and such shaggy and threat- 
ening brows overhang his eyes, that one dreads to 
look what kind of eyes they are. Gen. Houston's 
whole life has been a chain of romantic episodes, and 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 33 

people overlook his eccentricities as thej overlook 
the rough coat of a pineapple, because they know 
there is fruit at the core. 

The gentleman at his desk, with a copy of the 
Herald before him, has an air of calm, gentlemanly 
ease, which is evidently the result of habitual inter- 
course with the most cultivated society. He is not 
one of those who every six years are transmitted 
from their State to the Senate-chamber, to pillow 
themselves upon a splendid sinecure, rehearse an an- 
nual speech, and, having accepted the destined num- 
ber of invitations to dinners and receptions, await 
the warrant of a legislature's vote to terminate their 
political existence. As a senatorial orator, he uni- 
versally and powerfully commands the attention of 
the Senate. The plainest subject in his hands as- 
sumes a loftiness and power which elevates the minds 
of his hearers, as much as it convinces their reason. 

We enjoyed the privilege of hearing this distin- 
guished man (Mr. Crittenden, of Kentucky,) speak 
on the melancholy announcement of Mr. Clayton's 
death; his speech was not long or loud, and deli- 
vered in a voice which trembled under the sorrow of 
the occasion. 

The small, delicate, and very youthful figure, 
seated near the Senator from South Carolina, has, 
during the brief time he has been here, made a 
marked impression. His position, as he listens to 
the speaker, with one hand behind his ear, indicates 



34 LIFE IN WASHINGTON, AND 

that his hearing is imperfect. Mr. Pugh is a young 
man — the youngest in the Senate — and the place 
which he now occupies in pubhc estimation will, we 
think, enlarge. 

This is delicate ground, dear public, and we fear 
to venture farther at this time. As yet we have 
only seen these distinguished gentlemen in their in- 
dulgent moods, and we can no more opine what they 
might become if exasperated, than one who has 
studied jnarine views in summer-time in the Bay of 
Naples can conjecture the aspect of a typhoon. We 
know not what ferocious phase Senator Nature may 
assume on reading these innocent remarks. If 
agreeable to all concerned, we may at some future 
day resume our pen-sketching. 



VIII. 

ENTERTAINMENT AT SECRETARY McCLELLAND'S. 

Washington, January, 1857. 

The invitation cards of Secretary McClelland, 
issued last week, announced the opening reception 
of the season to come off at his residence last even- 
ing. The morning opened with a gay, dazzling sun- 
light; the air pure and bracing, and the sun playing 
pranks with inclined snow-flakes and pendant icicles. 
This snow-storm is an epoch in the life of our little 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 35 

people ; their hearts dance, and are mirrored in 
dancing eyes, and sit upon warm, loving lips, and 
ring out in glad voices, making the earth — winter 
as it is — radiant with beauty, and the air vocal with 
music like melody from a summer woodland. 

As evening approached, there was a general ex- 
citement in our city homes ; tramping of fat maids, 
and a general disarranging of drapery and furniture. 
For ourselves, we are not sure that we expected great 
pleasure from this gay crowd, but we liked the drive 
there very well. The snug comfort of a carriage, the 
pleasure of setting out with cheerful companions, — 
these small matters had for us an exhilarating charm ; 
how much of it lay in the atmosphere of friendly feel- 
ing diffused about us, we know not. After a short 
drive through a brightly-lit street, we joined the long 
line of carriages which heralded our approach to the 
Secretary's mansion. After undergoing the per- 
plexing, jerking motion which always accompanies a 
fashionable progress of this description, we reached 
the house, which presented a blaze of light from 
basement to attic. The ground-glass vestibule door 
was thrown open with a flourish by a grand-looking 
mulatto in white neckcloth and gloves. The hall 
and staircase was quickly passed on our way to the 
dressing-room, where we found a legion of angels 
in blonde and illusion. On descending, we found 
the drawing-rooms already crowded, and at the 
door we caught a glimpse of the hostess, a very 



36 



beautiful woman, in an exquisite rose-colored robe, 
edged with white plush, who was doing the honors 
of her house with an aspect of quiet elegance. 

Our progress through the rooms was slow, for our 
escort was no adept in the polite art of inserting his 
elbows into the shrinking sides of stationary matrons, 
and our ''^chaperon'' was much too gentle and cour- 
teous to rush forward through the opposing tides 
with the defiance of a " telle' of many seasons. We 
at length succeeded in taking our stand in a quarter 
of the room commanding a general view of the bril- 
liant crowd. The appearance of the rooms was most 
picturesque. Groups of both sexes were bowing in 
complimentary conversation; sometimes formal, and 
sometimes in a strain of humor which broke through 
the phase of etiquette. Fair forms leaned on the 
arms of attendant cavaliers, who whispered compli- 
ments as they passed along. 

In one direction the chandelier threw its shaded 
light upon the mild face of the host's niece, — a fair 
girl with heavy masses of chestnut ringlets shading 
her face, and a pair of joyous eyes looking out won- 
deringly from their ambush. In another direction 
we recognized the brilliant teeth and radiant smile 
of the lady of the Senator from Louisiana, (Mrs. 
Slidell.) Encircling her plainly-parted hair, shone 
a circlet of diamonds which might have been the 
ransom of a Great Mogul. The charm of this 
lady's conversation seems irresistible. There is an 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 37 

animation, a fascination in it, which we have rarely 
heard equaled. The peculiarity of her phraseology, 
the '' abandon' with which she speaks, the grace of 
her gestures, excite a perpetual interest, and leave 
such a delightful impression, that all seem perfectly 
ready to do everything reasonable and unreasonable 
that she may request. 

In another direction we saw a fair, mild, simple- 
looking girl, with a japonica in her hair, resisting 
every attempt to be made something of. And so 
this gentle girl will continue as like what she now is, 
as yon sun will be to its present self when we, who 
now glory in its light, are shut away from it by the 
coffin-lid. Few changes come over such characters. 
They appear before us quietly and without ostenta- 
tion, as the soft-eyed violets unfold their petals in 
the spring-time. The white wings are now folded 
and undreamed of, but the moment occasion requires 
it, the silver plumes will expand. 

About eleven o'clock the silvery head of the honor- 
able Senator from South Carohna appeared, pushing 
his rapid way through the rooms. He seemed to 
inspire new life into the circles he passed through, 
and one might trace his progress by the livelier 
movements and more mirthful laugh that followed 
him like the bubbling wake of a ship. Here, too, 
might be seen the bachelor member from North 
Carolina in full dress, from kid gloves to French 
boots; even the tie of his cravat ^'comme il faut." 

4 



38 LIFE IN WASHINGTON, AND 

How many smiles this gentleman has had wasted on 
him — enough to stir the very stones to feeling — and 
yet he contrives to dodge the whole artillery, and 
pass on ! 

Towering head and shoulders above all the world, 
we observed the '•'■witty'' member from Georgia, (Mr. 
Cobb,) who is expected to say what nobody else has 
a right to say, and it is all chargeable to a peculiar 
development of the organ of mirthfulness. 

About ten o'clock the burst of a well accorded 
band, resounding from the basement rooms, acted 
like magic on the swarming crowd above stairs. 
In the dancing rooms there was a figure which at- 
tracted much attention. Her liquid eyes had in 
them a meek lovingness, and her manners were the 
very perfection of that excellent quality called 
"lady-like." This young and very lovely person is 
the daughter of one of our resident citizens, (Mr. B. 
of Capitol Hill,) who was formerly '•' Sergeant-at- 
Arms'* of the Senate. As we made the circuit of 
the dancing-rooms, with their brilliant chandeliers 
and voluminous folds of crimson that shut in the 
rich warm light, we thought of the dreary street and 
whistling wind without; of houseless beggars who 
sat on door-steps, or shivering slept with heads bowed 
on their knees. Outside, cold, biting midwinter ; 
but within, a happy, merry time, where flowers 
bloomed, and comforts and luxuries were piled 
around like fairy gifts. Outside, one coating of 



LIFE HERE AND THERE.^ 39 

snow over all ; inside^ warm, glowing, and vivid, with 
jewels and elegance. 

As we stood, surrounded with groups of fashion 
and beauty, our imagination called up abodes in this 
very city, on this very night — abodes of poverty, 
where the cold wind blows through the broken door, 
and paralyzes the shivering limbs. Forms of huma- 
nity, with lungs, and nerves, and hearts, and every 
capacity for suffering that we have. 

And yet we are thankful that the highest sancti- 
ties of happiness are ^zoi dependent upon outward 
condition. Even in these abodes of destitution, duty 
and love may make the bare walls beautiful ; and be- 
fore the eye of Faith, the cold arch of this winter 
night may burst into a revelation of Heaven, and a 
path for those angels that come to help and comfort 
God's poor. 

Lady ! — you, surrounded by comforts and elegan- 
cies, feasting on dainties and rolling in luxuries — 
we can point you to other dwellings in this very city, 
dwellings of the really suffering poor, not in the 
wretched hovel where famine dwells confessedly, but 
with those who are ashamed to say they want; who 
find their cares increased by laboring always for its 
concealment. Is your heart so sheathed in worldli- 
ness as to feel no pitying thrill at this thought? 

And yet those whom you pity, and count so un- 
fortunate, have in their bosoms springs of happiness 
to which you are, perhaps, a stranger. Yes, there 



40 



are homes in this city where there is little more than 
a ''dinner of herbs," which affection converts into a 
palace ; shadows of sacred retirement where God is ; 
arenas of earth's purest discipline, where the domes- 
tic affections flourish, and the dearest treasures of 
life are kept. 

We are, indeed, poor judges of happiness or mi- 
sery, if we estimate it by outward marks. 



IX. 

HOUSE SPEECH OF COLONEL K:EITT. 

Washington, January, 1857. 

We enjoyed the privilege, a few days since, of 
hearing the member from South Carolina, (Col. 
Keitt,) in a very able reply to Mr. Aken, Know- 
Nothing member from Missouri, who had made a se- 
vere attack upon the Catholics. Col. K. appears 
quite young, not more, we should think, than thirty, 
and has a strikingly buoyant, frank, and indepen- 
dent expression. His fiery and impetuous tempera- 
ment is evident in his whole deportment, and even 
in the aspect of his desk, which generally presents a 
wilderness of papers, envelopes, pamphlets, etc. dis- 
persed in all directions like people in a panic. 

Col. K. commenced his speech in a low and rather 
indistinct tone, and it was not till he had spoken for 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 41 

several minutes, that his powerful voice began to ex- 
pand. His color rose as he alluded to the interest 
which, as a Southern representative, he took in the 
great questions which now agitated the country. 
Passing on to the charges against the South, he 
made a general but most masterly defence of the in- 
stitution of slavery, proved its ancient origin, and 
produced extracts from John Q. Adams's speeches, 
showing his approval of the institution. He then 
took to pieces his opponent's rhetorical mosaic. He 
reviewed his attack on the Catholics, tore into shreds 
the words, and showed that not a single conviction 
could be discovered behind it. 

But when he came to allude to the constant agita- 
tion of the slavery question in which the Republican 
party indulged, all the bitterness of his nature was 
poured forth. With a remorseless hand he stripped 
off the disguises of that party, and treated them as 
executioners might treat culprits bound to the wheel. 
How we wish we could give our distant readers some 
idea of his manner. One moment he dived, with an 
actual bodily diving, down into the abysses of his 
subject, to fish up an argument, then nailed the argu- 
gument with such reprehensive thumps upon the in- 
nocent mahogany before him, until the articles upon 
it had a really tremulous motion. The loose papers 
seemed to have the palsy ; the ink kept up a chilly 
chattering in its stand ; one paper (the Mercury) in- 
cessantly nodded; another, (the Courier,) as if in 
4* 



42 LIFE IN WASHINGTON, AND 

contradiction, incessantly shook its head ; dear old 
John Adams's extracts shuddered under the hlows as 
if they were hurt ; a little hox of Paris pens danced 
like volatile Frenchmen ; only the slender sticks of 
English sealing-wax stood firm with characteristic 
stolidity. 

This rapid and fervent manner had a riveting in- 
terest. His appearance of feeling, too, was irre- 
sistible. In a knowledge of whatever subject he 
undertakes, and a facility of developing it in impos- 
ing language, this gentleman need not shrink from a 
comparison with a single contemporary rival in the 
House. 

While admiring the brilliant talents of this inte- 
resting speaker, we desire most distinctly to guard 
against the supposition that we do homage to his dis- 
union sentiments. From these we deeply dissent. 
Who that has heard the great Compromise speech of 
the lamented Clay — that glorious speech that has 
gone up to immortality — can cease to remember the 
tremor of the voice which brought out his conception 
of the awful consequences of disunion ? That speech 
was a parting legacy to his country. We have be- 
fore our eye, at this moment, the tall and elastic 
frame, the inspired face, the speaking eye. Oh, the 
mournful desolation of that picture ! Oh, the heart- 
rending pathos of that description ! The very glance 
of his eye haunts our memory, as he dwelt upon the 
consequences of severing that bond which is cemented 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 43 

by the blood of patriots. We hear again his omi- 
nous tones, as he warns his country to avoid that 
rock upon which so many before us have split. 

We could not, if we would, rid ourselves of that 
warning presence. And yet men rise here — here, 
where the shadow of Washington forever tapestries 
the wall — and calmly contemplate an event which 
the statesman-like sagacity of that great mind la- 
bored so faithfully to avert. 



PRESIDENT'S LEVEE. 



WASfflNQTON, January, 1857. 

In sketching the President's "drawing-room," the 
only difficulty we experience is in bringing on a spasm 
of enthusiasm in traversing ground so foot-worn. 
Would you like us first to describe the surrounding 
glories of the "Executive mansion," — its rich shrub- 
bery, its evergreen gardens, its graveled walks, 
its picturesque irregularities? No, we won't. For 
now that the emissaries of the illustrated papers go 
scouring the country with their sketch-books, mak- 
ing private dwellings and grounds their own, it is 
really a work of supererogation. 

You may, dear public, imagine the beautiful grounds 
of the White House to be like Portia's garden, the 



44 LIFE IN WASHINGTON, AND 

spot where Lorenzo whispered thoughts so sweet to 
Shylock's lovely daughter ; or the bower where witty 
Beatrice turned eaves-dropper; or you may imagine 
it like the high-walled garden, with its unguarded bal- 
cony, where Juliet lingered so long in the clear moon- 
light, dreaming of her Romeo. 

Within, there was the usual crowding, disagree- 
able or agreeable as the case may be, the usual hum 
of voices, the usual nothings exchanged, which seem 
conventional among those hackneyed in such assem- 
blages. The East Room glittered with the embroi- 
deries of foreign uniforms and foreign orders. As a 
mere picture to one who sought amusement, the pano- 
rama was interesting. Nothing could exceed in va- 
riety the dress, the appearance, and manners of the 
crowd. 

In one direction might be seen a group of "diplo- 
mats," discussing with vehement gesticulation ex- 
ceeding in ingenuity of pantomime all the deaf and 
dumb institutions of Europe, leading those at a dis- 
tance to suppose them to be conversing by signs with 
the crowd. In a remote corner of the room a knot 
of Republicans had, established themselves, to fight 
over the recent Fremont campaign, and discuss 
among themselves the propriety of model cottages 
for slaves, or some other philanthropical toy of that 
description. Every now and then the crowd respect- 
fully gave way, as some member of the Cabinet, try- 
ing to forget mystic packages and official seals, swept 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 45 

along with smiles and nods, claiming acquaintance 
with the most elegant of the women and most dis- 
tinguished among the men. Comedy, too, was 
strewn thickly about. Mingling amid the gay- 
dresses, were well-dressed rustics, evidently fresh 
from the country; wonder and delight openly mani- 
fested in their beaming countenances. As we glanced 
around the well-dressed circle, our roving eye fell 
upon a quaint-looking couple. One, — a little, thin, 
striking figure, whose complexion resembled one of 
Benvenuto Cellini's carving in ivory, — had a diminu- 
tive cap perched on the back of her head. If ever 
hair might be called expressive, that of this indi- 
vidual deserved the name. It curled naturally, but 
was compelled into plain bands, which it struggled 
against tenaciously, and, wherever it could, stole into 
minute curls of astonishing stiffness and variety. 
She wore glasses, but had now and then a knack of 
glancing over the top of them, with a pair of pale- 
blue eyes, in a most bewildering manner. 

Her companion was a large figure ; wrinkles long 
and forcible about his mouth, under his eyelids, and 
upon his brow. This worthy individual was dilat- 
ing upon the turpitude of public men in general, 
making vague allusions to the mismanagement of the 
national business, and to the miserable pilots who 
held the helm of State. He held his head very high, 
and delivered these sentiments into the air when he 



46 



spoke, but scarcely bent from his altitude to address 
any one in particular. 

It was whispered through the rooms that this wor- 
thy couple were from Utah Territory. 

As the evening advanced, we left the thronged 
*'East Room" for the "Crimson Parlor." Here 
groups were dispersed about ; some in half-reclining 
positions on sofas and easy-chairs ; some bending 
over the tables, examining a superb vase of choice 
flowers that made the air of the apartment heavy 
with perfume. There was a couple near us, who 
seemed to have a stock of small-talk on hand, — abuse 
of Washington generally ; ridicule of the manner of 
living in these parts ; the want of style, the absence 
of elegance, as if they had been accustomed to very 
great doings indeed, — an insinuation which their 
somewhat underbred manner and aspect failed to 
bear out. 

Some six or eight brides from different cities were 
pointed out to us among the crowd. 

One of the number, a lovely girl in white "moire 
antique," carried a gorgeous fan a la Louis XIV, 
Her appearance would have been noticeable in any 
society. There were smiles hiding in every line of 
her beautiful face, which was as rosy as the cheeks 
of Tennyson's Maude. No anxiety — not the shadow 
of a shade had ever crossed her imagination touch- 
ing her future lot. 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 47 



XI. 



SNOW-STORM— MR. CORCORAN'S GALLERY— MILTON AT THE ORGAN- 
PAINTING BY MR. WASHINGTON- GREEK SLAVE. 

Washington, January, 1857. 

Snow is falling rapidly. A hopeless, heavy, per- 
severing, not-to-be-mended snow-storm — not falling 
in tiny showers, but leaving drifts, which we verily 
believe will last until April. Our sun is quenched 
in snow-clouds, which hang low and leaden over the 
white world ; and our day is one continued twilight, 
the damp light coming in and going out at its usual 
hours, as though it acted only from a sense of duty. 

Wild gusts of wind sweep, at intervals, against the 
long branches of the trees before the door, blowing 
them about wildly, like a group of heroines throwing 
up their arms in a tragic appeal to heaven. The 
howling wind carries its biting blasts beneath many 
a roof, and into many a cheerless chamber too for- 
lorn and bare to bar out the intruder. 

Up and down our avenue omnibus drivers in water- 
proof coats drive along with an improbable number 
of horses, and an impossible number of human be- 
ings. Round, rosy faces, hardly yet from the cradle, 
heartily tired of their weather-bound imprisonment, 
flatten their noses against the nursery window panes, 
or gambol in trundle-beds, and pitch tents with the 
sheets and blankets. 



48 



Everything in the streets is dispiriting. The min- 
gled snow and wind renders them almost deserted. 
Now and then a solitary female, holding up with one 
hand garments already piteously bedraggled, with 
the other thrusts her umbrella in the very teeth of 
the hostile elements, for the purpose of selecting the 
driest part through which to effect the miserable act 
of crossing to the opposite side. 

One of the most gifted writers of the day has said 
"that no interest of a high nature can be given to 
extreme poverty." We doubt its truth. Where will 
you find manifestations of a more beautiful self-sacri- 
fice, than in the labors and in the endurance of men 
and women shut out from the world's observation in 
nooks and corners of this very city, amid the rela- 
tionships, and cares, and struggles of life ? We have 
seen nothing in this great metropolis of republican 
America so exalted as one of its most gifted spirits 
working out its end through every earthly obstacle. 
We have seen the wearying, petty humiliations of 
poverty, as the}^ fell one by one upon the sensitive 
heart ; we have seen the dignity of intellect tram- 
pled into the dust, — and yet they seemed to throw 
over these degrading circumstances an innate and 
consecrating power. Poverty associated with them 
became almost divine. 

This last is a phase of " Washington Life' seldom 
bared to view, and little suspected by those around. 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 49 

Mr. Corcoran has recently added to his fine col- 
lection here two paintings which have elicited uni- 
versal admiration. '"'Milton at the Organ^'" by 
Leutze, contains a gallery of historical portraits ; it 
is, indeed, the embodying so many separate and dis- 
tinguished characters, which form the grand charac- 
teristic of this picture. 

Cromwell lifts upon the canvas his huge head 
and grim visage ; the closely-clipped hair in Roundr 
head fashion, contrasting with the long curled locks 
and thick moustachio of Algernon Sydney, whose 
handsome features are clouded over with sorrowful 
thought. 

"Does that low strain of music summon to his side 
Those who betrayed him, seeming true and tried, 
Those who in the glory of his young life's eagle flight 
Shone round like rays encircling him with light? 
Or do old voices call unto his haunted heart 
Playfields, whose memory bids a tear-drop start, 
Scenes from his early life, whose sunshine dwells apart?" 

And sweet Elizabeth Claypole, Cromwell's be- 
loved daughter, is there, with ruff and cuffs of glit- 
tering purity, which seem to be playing a game pf 
rivalry with the little hands for the palm of fairness. 

"She seems to hear some old familiar words 
Set to a foreign air on those melodious chords." 

The other painting to which we referred is by a 
new artist, who threatens to take the crown from 

5 



50 LIFE IN WASHINGTON, AND 

Leutze's head. This gentleman — Mr. Washing- 
ton, a Virginian by birth, and a very young man — 
without advancing in the usual way from step to step, 
and testing his skill on portraits and inferior subjects, 
has launched off into the region of historical painting. 
After passing a year in Dusseldorf, he returned not 
long since with this painting, which had been ordered 
by Mr. C. It represents the clandestine marriage 
of a young French Cavalier to the daughter of a 
Huguenot. The moment represented 'is when the 
indignant father, with a band of armed men, break 
in upon, and interrupt the ceremony. The spirited 
attitude of the Cavalier is grand and noble ; that of 
the female touching and womanly. If Leutze ex- 
cels in vigor of imagination and graphic delineation, 
Mr. W. is not less distinguished for conception of 
character, delicacy of sentiment, and beauty of ex- 
pression. The painting is remarkable as the pro- 
duction of so young a man. 

The sanctum sanctorum of this gallery is a small 
octagon alcove, hung with crimson velvet, containing 
Powers's exquisite embodiment of beauty and loveli- 
ness — the Greek Slave. 

What could have been passing in the artist's mind 
when he conceived such tenderness and beauty? 
Who shall estimate the rapture, the witcheries of 
grace and beauty that must have haunted him? 
What if his path was on the stony highway, and 
thorns pierced his feet ! What if his path was dark, 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 51 

he had an inner lamp whose smallest glimmer irradi- 
ated the world with beauty! Yes, we thank God, 
that he spreads his shield over the sensitive bosom of 
the gifted, and holds to their lip a cup of bliss denied 
to common nature. They have consolation which 
nothing can dim. They have the key to a bright 
world, where they may tread among flowers, with the 
light of imagination circling above their head. The 
world may frown, but the fires of adversity only burn 
away the dross ; and, in the midst of all, walks, unseen, 
the white-winged angel. To them is given the talis- 
man to unlock the portals of nature. Flow^ers blos- 
som, wings glance, waters sparkle, stars smile, and 
leaves rustle ; the green earth, with its jewel-work of 
flowers, its amber moss cups, and rosy clouds, all bow 
to them. 

We may at some future day refer to other gems 
in this collection. 



XII. 

DEATH OF MR. BROOKS. 

Washington, Jandaet, 1857. 

It is but a few days since we were planning to 
give a "sketch" of Mr. Brooks, of South Carolina. 
We thought of what we should say of him ; in what 
terms we should speak of the esteem in which we 
held him. 



52 LIFE IN WASHINGTON, AND 

To-day we take up our pen for a sadder purpose — 
to pay to the dead some part of the honor we in- 
tended for the living. We bring our offering, but he 
is not here who should receive it. It may be well 
to occupy our thoughts with the excellent qualities 
which were embodied with so strong an individuality 
in his frank and generous nature. With the promise 
of a long and useful life before him, in the bloom of 
his years, he is suddenly stricken down. It is not 
for us to comprehend or question the hidden work- 
ings of that Providence who has cut him off. If the 
homage of deep and general sorrow can assuage the 
severity of private affliction, the family and friends 
of the late Preston S. Brooks should feel that the 
heavy calamity which has so suddenly fallen upon 
them, is not without alleviation. Few men in public 
life here have ever succeeded in securing so large 
and so sincere a measure of personal regard as the 
man to whose character we are now endeavoring to 
offer a tribute of respect. 

Personal amiability was, undoubtedly, the most 
marked feature in his character. In saying this we 
would not be understood as endeavoring in the faint- 
est degree to detract from his fine intellect. 

Men of ability are met with at the corner of every 
street in Washington ; men of great ability are cer- 
tainly no phenomena in this metropolis of the nation. 
Any man of clear head, and settled disregard for the 
feelings and fate of those around him, may achieve a 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 53 

considerable measure of success in public life. Tbe 
success, however, will be one which will not attract 
the esteem and regard of his fellow-creatures while 
living, nor obtain for him regret when he is called 
away to another scene. 

Far different was the case of the kindly, warm- 
hearted man, whose sudden loss we have now to de- 
plore. Standing before his grave, we recall his sub- 
stantial acts of kindness to those whose qualities of 
heart or intellect might seem to merit his considera- 
tion and regard. Few men can expect to be so much 
regretted. 

What an admonition to form resolutions and habits ; 
to respect and esteem each other ; to cement society 
by kind affections ; to be mindful that we have a 
common country, and a common purpose ; and con- 
sidering that in varieties of mind and information, 
there must be a difference of opinion, in candor and 
conciliation to throw over these differences the mantle 
of charity, which we all feel the need of ourselves, 
and should be ready, therefore, to grant to others, 
and act toward each other under some just estimate 
of the vanities of time and the solemnities of eternity ! 

His stricken family are, indeed, bereaved ; into 
the sacred privacy of their grief we will not intrude. 
A gap, never to be filled, has been made there. In 
that distant home the familiar footstep, the familiar 
voice, will be heard no more. May " He, who tem- 
pers the wind to the shorn lamb," be their support. 
5* 



54 LIFE IN WASHINGTON, AND 



XIII. 

SKETCH OF THE CmLDREN. 

Washington, October, 1857. 

Dear readers, we are in a dilemma ! Before us are 
six little people, all in a row, pleading for a "sketch," 
backed by their mammas ; and mentally we behold 
the frowns and poutings of the anti-childrenites, who 
will, we fear, contemptuously drop this article with 
a determination to pass to some more congenial 
page, where they will not be obliged to read arti- 
cles on the graces of childhood. 

Nay, indignant reader, straighten that curl in the 
lip. Nearer to glory children stand than either you 
or I. Was it not by the example of a child the 
blessed Saviour of the world warned and exhorted 
his disciples, when they would have forbidden the 
company of those little ones ? Oh ! it was an ex- 
quisite fancy that made a great artist, in one of his 
noble pictures, form of millions of faces the floor 
of heaven. 

For ourselves, we believe that there is poetry in 
children — genuine poetry — and we instinctively 
shrink from the man or woman who does not love 
children. 

As we write, wee witching things are frolicking 
around us, and our purpose now is to draw your at- 
tention to one of the group — a child whose name we 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 55 

think you will one day find in some biographical 
dictionary. Look well at her, dear reader. Pale, 
with slight limbs and spiritual gray eyes, and a look 
of thought in the straight, fine forehead. See, how 
she bewilders the little coterie with the things she 
has seen in her dream, the rounded periods falling 
from her bulbous lips slowly and with a delicious 
quietude that bewitches while it lulls the senses! 
She is a little taller than children of her age usually 
are, and if you had met her out walking, muffled in 
bonnet and shawl, you might not notice her; you 
met a pale, lady-like child, and that was all ; but if 
you could see her in a room and speak to her, she 
would remain forever shrined in memory. 

If a loved voice takes a careless tone, the soft 
eyes fill with tears, and the lip quivers ; if a word 
of praise is breathed, a quick, vivid blush burns on 
the blue-veined temples. 

Tread the earth carefully, sweet child; love the 
beautiful things which God has made, but shut that 
rich heart from every eye. Give all thy heart's 
wealth to Heaven; the seeds which it would rest 
upon here will sway and bend beneath it ; there is 
no support for natures like thine; keep them for the 
angels. 

There is little without to give a clew to the con- 
tents of the casket. Sweetness, and love, and truth, 
the qualities which attract the companions of this 
lovely child; they do not see into the depths of 



56 



mind and heart, the intellect and the affections 
braided closely together, and growing np in rich 
luxuriance. And yet, dear reader, she is orphaned 
and dependent. She has been pressed in one long- 
loving pressure as though the icy lips would grow to 
the warm living one. 

^''Orphaned'' and '''' dependent!'' What a world of 
meaning is expressed in those crooked marks ! That 
lovely nature may soften worldly hearts, and yet 
we fear that she will live to feel a thrill which will 
freeze her very life-strings at undeserved humilia- 
tions ; live to feel all the blood in her veins ebb back 
to her heart on the discovery that she is eating bread 
that is grudged to her. God and his angels keep 
thee, sweet Eva L ; reluctantly we leave thee. 

But we must turn to our roguish, joyous, rebellious, 

coaxing little friend, Fred. , who is content to 

be amused, no matter by whom, and noisy, no mat- 
ter where. How bewitching, with his trust in all the 
little world he sees ; his beauty, which makes even 
strangers pause to notice him and ask his name ! We 
see him now, standing in mock penitence before his 
doating mamma, whose premeditated words of grave 
remonstrance are changed in the utterance to epi- 
thets of endearment, as he throws his arms about 
her neck and half smothers her with kisses. Happy 
child, under shelter of an affection that covers him 
as with an angel's wing ! 

And docile, yielding, caressing Lily K , who 



LIFE HEBE AND THERE. 57 

puts her little arms around our neck with a nestling 
action which sends a gush to the eyes. Lily is con- 
stitutionally fond of everything weak, small, and 
unprotected. She puts implicit faith in marvellous 
anecdotes of animal sagacity; indeed, the whole 
tribe of domestic creation turn, like dying sun- 
flowers to the sun, toward her pitying smile. The 
pigeons eye her from their dove-cots with soft, 
shy looks ; the adult mouser purs murmurously as 
she approaches, and comes with its velvet feet and 
head lovingly depressed to receive the expected 
caress ; while the ruffianly house-dog, sullen and in- 
tractable to others, has a singular partiality for 
her. 

We must not forget impulsive, thoughtless T , 

who, we are sorry to say, has a great many break- 
neck propensities. On our last visit to his mamma, 
the nurse was busied in teaching him the grand mys- 
tery of dining, that is, seated at a real table with 
a real silver fork ; but little Harry evinced greater 
anxiety to sit on the table than on the chair. No 
eel was ever more lubric. Why, he slid from his 
nurse's arms like a thing immaterial, and the next 
moment was hanging out of the window, his nurse, 
in a spasm of terror, wiping away the tears with 
her bare arms. After being rescued from his perilous 
position, he was off hunting a tortoise-shell kitten 
from corner to corner, with a vivacity of delight. 



58 LIFE IN WASHINGTON, AND 

XIV. 

SENATE-CHAMBER— JUDGE BUTLER. 

Washington, February, 1857. 

We will now fulfill a promise, and present our 
readers with a few pen-sketches of the most distin- 
guished of the Senate-chamber, or, at least, our own 
enthusiastic appreciation of them. In approaching 
this delicate ground we feel considerable dilEdence. 
To do unbiased justice to the character of the living 
is among the most difficult of tasks. Even of the 
dead we can rarely speak without undue praise or 
undeserved blame. How much more easily are we 
betrayed into error when we attempt to delineate the 
character of those who yet live to be wounded by 
censure, or mortified by injudicious commendation ! 
Such considerations may well make us feel some 
delicacy in sketching those who fill conspicuous 
places in this deliberative body. 

We commence with one who is conceded to be the 
most unique and original intellect in the Senate, 
Judge Butler. He has an inelegant, unclassic visage, 
with a mass of troubled, streaming, silvery hair, that 
seems as if it had been contending with the blasts of 
winter ; his is the face of one difficult to lead, and 
impossible to drive, w^ith abilities which give him a 
towering eminence among his brother Senators. 

His power, as a speaker, stands acknowledged in 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 59 

the admiration of both Houses. His noble defence 
of the South always reminds us of William Tell's 
fiery and indignant eloquence when his home was in- 
vaded. Like all men of impetuous impulse he is 
very restless : one moment pacing to and fro the 
space behind the Speaker's desk ; another, giving 
the grasp of his right hand to some younger Senator; 
the next taking active part in the debates of the 
day. 

More than any man in public life has he given the 
South reason to be proud of her venerable son; and 
prouder, because, in distance and absence, he never 
allows his heart to travel away from his native State. 
This is proved by his labors, his speeches, the im- 
press of his whole life. 

He has shown also that it is possible for the same 
person to be an able and dexterous legalist upon a 
point of law as well as a statesman-like reasoner 
upon comprehensive questions. We have enjoyed 
the privilege of hearing him in the Supreme Court 
on important cases. There he seems to hold the 
same pre-eminence that he does in the Senate. The 
moment a question is submitted to him his mind 
seems instinctively to apply all the great principles 
that are favorable or hostile. He possesses wonder- 
ful extemporaneous power for going through the 
most difficult processes of thought with the ease and 
familiarity of ordinary discourse. Venerable for his 
years, venerable for his abilities, and venerated 



60 LIFE IN WASHINGTON, AND 

throughout the South for his fidelity to her interests, 
and possessing a dignity of mind that renders him 
infinitely superior to mere party spirit. In private 
life he is known as a warm admirer of every 
species of excellence, and fearless in the expression 
of that admiration. He is of a frank and generous 
temperament; and there are deeds in this gentle- 
man's private life which will never pass away. They 
give a warmer tone to our esteem, and prove con- 
clusively that he has a heart as warm as his in- 
tellect is ample. But this is sacred ground. This 
(long may it be deferred !) must be left to his 
obituary. 

Seated near Judge Butler is a slight, slender 
figure, with a combination of the poet and the poli- 
tician in his appearance. This is the young Senator 
from Alabama, Mr. Clay, known as one of the rising 
statesmen of the Senate-chamber. In debate he is 
noted for a classical elegance of speech, forming as 
strong a contrast to the harsher style of the Senator 
from Illinois as a Grecian temple to the grim bleak- 
ness of a Methodist chapel. 

State Rights is this Senator's political pet, with 
which he is as closely amalgamated as a Smyrna fig 
to the fellow fig in its drum. He cultivates it as a 
favorite plant, waters it, prunes it, and supports it 
with sticks. Whenever this subject comes up he 
seems inspired; and it is in the support of this 
darling measure that his most brilliant remarks are 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 61 

made. " State Rights" is this gentleman's depart- 
ment as much as the ''Navy Bill" is that of Mr. 
Mallory, or the "Pacific Raih'oad Bill" of Mr. 
Gwin. For Mr. Clay to abjure ''State Bights" 
would be for Peter to deny his Master. Though we 
deeply dissent from the disunion sentiments which 
these principles inculcate, we cannot but admire (in 
the political summersets of the day) this gentleman's 
steadfast adherence to the principles he professes. 
The moral beauty of this gentleman's private life 
might serve as a model for older statesmen. His 
lady is known as one of the most brilliant and ac- 
complished women in the South. 



XV. 

PARTY AT SECRETARY aUTHRIE'S. 

Washington, February, 1857. 

When a city belle expands into ecstasies concern- 
ing the delights of Washington to some country 
friend on a dreary day, vaguely alluding to the 
"diversified" amusements of the metropolis, the 
country friend may be assured that truth is not in 
her. 

Nothing can be more minutely monotonous than 
Washington receptions and Washington parties, 
which are all formed after the same invariable model. 

6 



62 



At the thirty or forty entertainments to whicli she 
is to be indebted for the excitements of the season, 
the fair girl listens to the same band ; is refreshed 
from viands prepared by the same cuisinier ; looks 
at the same diamonds ; and, but for an incident or 
two, might find it difficult to point out the slightest 
difi'erence between the "party" on the first of Janu- 
ary and the one on the last of February. But ex- 
periences of these desolating facts do not seem to 
damp the ardor of those who are to be found hurry- 
ing here, year after year, in pursuit of pleasure. 

Washington has so long been regarded as a sort 
of '^ conservatoire ' of fashion, a university of ton, 
where young ladies may take degrees calculated to 
maintain their future reputation in the " heau monde,'' 
that these minor vexations are unheeded. 

The second reception of the season, which came 
off at the mansion of the Secretary of the Interior, 
on Monday last, was a lively and agreeable party. 

There were members of the " diplomatic corps," 
with their melting intonations and their polished 
Parisian idioms. There were novelties fresh from 
their French grammars ; and there were others 
there whose business was pleasure, with no object 
in life but an easy, agreeable, and rapid annihilation 
of their superfluous time ; in short, there was a 
fashionable crowd in most of the paraphernalia of 
their order. 

The fascinating member from (excuse the 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 63 

initials) was there; this gentleman has undergone so 
many matrimonial crises that he is growing an ex- 
perienced tactician against the allied forces of his 
female adversaries. We hope his companion will 
not order her "■ trousseau' on the strength of his 
passing enthusiasm — for passing we fear it is. We 
have known him in love and out of love six dozen 
times ; his heart is worn so threadbare that he has 
learned to mistrust even himself. He seems to give 
up to a momentary intoxication only to reassume a 
still more frigid sobriety; and were this fair girl, to 
whom he is so devoted to-night, to appear in unbecom- 
ing dress to-morrow, farewell to all his sentiment. 
We hope, in the present instance, it is not so ; for, 
with all the Washington partiality for negation, it 
could find neither argument nor motive against this 
alliance. 

His rival, who stood near, seemed as perplexed as 
Othello. Indeed, from his lugubrious face, we are 
apprehensive that the '^Police Reports" of the 
"•Star"' will acquaint us some day with the melan- 
choly intelligence of his having taken the altitude of 
the central arch of the "Long Bridge." 

The Ambassador from was there, looking 

as grave as a lord chancellor, and sufficiently dun 
of visage to warrant the supposition that he was in 
the habit of taking baths of chocolate. Madame 
de Stael says that a degree of solemnity attends 
every journey commencing with a sea passage. 



64 LIFE IN WASHINGTON, AND 

From this gentleman's serious air and grave face, 
we opine that his imperial master has summoned him 
to his royal presence ; and that the prospect of 
twelve days in a steamship has reduced him to this 
matter-of-fact condition. 

The elegant-looking lady of Judge McLean, of 
the Supreme Court, was there, in a georgeous crim- 
som dress and one of those labyrinths of blonde, 
feathers, and velvet, which Madame Delaran says 
she is obliged to invent to appease the ravenous ap- 
petite for head-dresses of our Washington ladies. 

Mrs. Noble, the very charming wife of a chaplain 
in the navy, was there. 

When weary of standing — for party-goers in 
Washington do not dream of so plebeian a luxury as 
repose — we descended to the dancing apartment, a 
reeking sudatorium past the ascertainment of Fah- 
renheit. Conspicuous among the belles upon the 
floor was Miss , of Kentucky, a queenly-look- 
ing girl, in black velvet and pearls, who walked 
through the figures like an empress at the Cobourg. 
This lady is ''chaperoned'' by the wife of the dis- 
tinguished Senator from Kentucky. 

Gliding through the dance — graceful as the down 
on a Scotch thistle — was a figure that attracted 
general admiration. This fair girl has seen the 
heather, with its purple eye, look up to the blue of 
the Scottish heaven, for she is from Inverness, Scot- 
land, that land of "lights and shadows." 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 65 

Miss , of Philadelphia, a very lovely piece of 

human nature, looking like a swan's-down muff, was 
also there. 

The accomplished lady of the Secretary may con- 
gratulate herself on the pleasure afforded by her 
evening's entertainment, for her guests separated 
with the impression of a most delightful evening to 
swell the store of their social remembrance. 



XVI. 

SENATE-CHAMBER— JUDGE DOUGLAS. 
Washington, February, 1857. 

In sketching rapidly the characters of some of the 
principal members of the Senate, we must premise 
that we propose to speak only of those whom we 
have heard sufficiently often to catch the peculiari- 
ties of their mind and manner; and, with regard to 
these, we beg to disclaim all pretensions to adjust 
their comparative merits and importance. 

There are few men in the Chamber whose bodily 
and mental lineaments make so distinct and definite 
an impression upon the public mind as Judge Doug- 
las. His figure — short, stout, and thick — would 
have been fatal to the divinity of the Apollo Belvi- 
dere, but is precisely such as befits a man of the 
people. His physiognomy, too, is rather stern and 
6* 



66 LIFE IN WASHINGTON, AND 

heavy, and if you ever had any hint that there was 
a vein of acrimony in his character, you fall to ima- 
gining what expression that keen eye will take, and 
that heavy eyebrow, and that firmly-set mouth, when 
he is belaboring the Republican party. But when 
he rises to speak, you listen but a few moments be- 
fore you forget everything, except that a man of 
ability is before you. He is a bold and independent 
speaker, and has the power of thrilling his hearers 
through and through ; indeed, rapidity and boldness 
of thought are his inseparable attributes. He strikes 
on all the hard, strong points of his subject, till they 
ring again. His language is always sharp, and clear, 
and strong, and knotty ; never soft ; seldom beauti- 
ful. 

There has been, during the last two years, raised 
against him a storm of rebuke and misrepresentation. 
Public meetings have denounced his ambition. North- 
ern speakers have held him up to scorn, as the very 
embodiment of national evil. Northern journals have 
poured an incessant hail of accusation against him. 
But with the whole storm of unpopularity roaring 
round him, he sternly pursues his course, breasting 
the storm, combating the surge. 

A portion of our country foresee in him a future 
President, with the White House in prospective, as 
much his future as the Tuilleries that of the Im- 
perial infant, or Windsor Castle that of the Prince 
of Wales. 



LIFE HERE AND THERE 67 

This gentleman is one of the self-made men of our 
country, whose elevation is in itself a proof of the 
admirable nature of our Constitution, which allows 
the lowliest to rise to its distinctions, while it com- 
pels the loftiest to labor. It is a glorious fact, with 
which are embalmed the springs of our national great- 
ness, that here there are no barriers of caste, no 
terms of descent, no depths so low that enterprise 
cannot rise out of them, no heights so exalted that 
genius cannot attain them. 

After many a struggle. Judge Douglas has reached 
a table-land, from whence he can look down on the 
path before him. 

We desire, in the future, to allude to the superior 
abilities of the distinguished Senator from Virginia, 
(Mr. Hunter.) The very fashion of this gentleman's 
garments shows his abhorrence of restraint, for his 
clothes are so indefinitely cut, as to be an equally 
good fit for any other Senator in the Chamber. His 
neckcloth, tied carelessly, leaves his throat half bare ; 
and such is his indifierence to appearance, that a lock 
of hair is always falling over his forehead, or tossed 
behind his ear — never where it ought to be. Though 
negligent, he is never slovenly ; at ease everywhere, 
and with every one. 



68 LIFE IN WASHINGTON, AND 



XVII. 

TVILLARD'S HOTEL— EAIXY DAY. 
Washington, FEBRtrAHY, 1S57. 

This morning rose with a drizzling rain ; the air, 
clogged and dull with moisture, only lightened now 
and then by an impatient, shrewish gust, which threw 
the small rain-drops full into one's face. Hour after 
hour, with the most sullen and dismal obstinacy, the 
rain drizzled down upon the earth. It was in vain to 
go to the window, from which nobody but the omni- 
bus driver, in his water-proof coat, was to be seen. 

Did you ever spend a rainy morning, dear reader, 
in one of those smaller worlds with which Washing- 
ton abounds ? Would you like to know what some 
four hundred tolerably good-tempered persons do, 
anchored down in these great Babels? On such a 
day we braved the dripping atmosphere, and, thanks 
to gum-elastic, reached one of those brown-faced 
Babylons (Willard's Hotel) as dry as a bag of Caro- 
lina rice, in defiance of the rain. In passing to the 
parlor, we glanced into the dining-room, where a late 
riser was busily engaged at the breakfast table with 
the wreck of a ''pate defoie gras." As we entered 
the drawing-room, the first living object which ar- 
rested our eye was the buoyant figure of a child of 
some eight years, with her ''robe a V enfant" and 
tresses, flying through a waltz upon a young mas- 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 69 

culine's arm ; while exclamations of rapturous de- 
light from those around attested the youthful loveli- 
ness and animation of this Venus in her teens. 

Passing on to the adjoining parlor, we found the 
study of the various groups profoundly interesting. 
Upon a French lounge were a knot of lively girls 
bestowing their colloquial animation upon two or 
three unavailable representatives of the male sex, — 
whose income would not feast a sparrow, — after the 
fashion conventionally denominated ^ ' flirting. ' ' Close 
by, a mild-eyed mamma was surfeiting a little golden- 
haired "Benjamin" with colored sugar-plums, forget- 
ting that nothing but a Medea would condemn her 
offspring to promiscuous confectionery in this land of 
chemical substitutes. 

At the piano, two bright-lipped Hebes were com- 
mitting a grievous massacre upon the beauties of a 
new opera. In another direction a yawning mascu- 
line was passing a white hand through his perfumed 
curls, and crumpling with the other the morning pa- 
per into a toss-ball, as he listened to the notes of an 
old air on a guitar. 

In the dim light at the southern end of the room, 
a cluster of little cherry-lipped fairies were having a 
grand tea-party, and their dolls must have been sur- 
feited with the luxuries spread before them. 

By one of the windows — made dim by the descend- 
ing rain — sat a fair girl, with a mother-of-pearl work- 
box before her, engaged on an unfinished specimen 



70 



of " broderie.'" A single glance sufficed to show that 
her male companion was speaking tenderly, though 
we did not hear his words. His look was riveted 
upon her, not fully and freely, but with all the cau- 
tion of one who cares not that his secret should be 
read by idle eyes. 

She, meanwhile, to cover her embarrassment, em- 
ployed her needle on the filmy web in her fingers 
with the most determined vigor, bending over it with 
assiduous industry. But notwithstanding her seem- 
ing pre-occupation, the eddy from her heart, which 
sent up its rosy scarlet over her whole face, plainly 
showed that she did not listen unheedingly to the 
low murmur that fell upon her ear. It was not diffi- 
cult, dear reader, to understand and translate the 
varying color on her cheek. 

In the quarter of the room where we sat, 
awaiting the entrance of our friend, four or five 
ladies were seated, engaged in conversation — a con- 
versation we hardly think profitable to those con- 
cerned. One of the party was flaying alive her in- 
visible acquaintances. One of her auditors — a sweet- 
faced girl — ventured to put in a palliative word, but 
she set it aside, and went on with her pitiless ana- 
tomy. 

We have given you, dear public, a peep at hotel 
life in our city. Happy they who have a ''home'' 
in Washington, which, when its doors are closed, 
shuts out all save love and harmony. 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 71 



XVIII. 

SENATE-CHAMBER— GENERAL CASS— MR. TOOMBS, AND JUDGE 
lYERSON. 

Washington, February, 1857. 

In resuming our notice of the Senators, we desire 
to draw attention to a serene-looking person seated 
on the left of the door of entrance. He strikes one 
at first sight, as a man of thoughtful and reflective 
habits. Amid all the noise, and the perpetual pass- 
ing in and out of people, he seems perfectly calm and 
abstracted, listening benignantly to the business be- 
fore the Senate, and patting his hands together in 
unconscious approval of everything. There is no 
gayety in his look or manner, and he appears altoge- 
ther absorbed in his own reflections. It is evident that 
for him the romance of life is over, or exists only in 
memory, and the calm shadows of that quiet twilight 
which precedes the last long night of the grave is 
rapidly gathering about him. 

The life of this gentleman (Gen. Cass) substantiates 
in the clearest manner two principles of the highest 
importance to the aspiring statesman ; that the na- 
tion eminently honors political integrity and private 
worth, and that no rank of ability destitute of moral 
character, can possess a permanent ascendency in the 
public mind. Lofty in character, eminently honor- 
ing the moralities of private life, superior to the 



72 LIFE IN WASHINGTON, AND 

temptations of public gain, his life affords a useful 
lesson to all. The rising politician who shall emu- 
late him in his pure patriotism and stainless life, may 
scorn the assaults of party; while the statesman who 
reposes his popularity on the strength of his talents, 
while he insults public feeling by the license of his 
life, can never hope to attain the position of this 
venerable man. 

About the centre of the cluster of desks on the 
right, and near the Senator from New York, may 
be seen an athletic figure, expanding into that portly 
^&mbonpoint which seems the natural development of 
contented men as they approach middle life. The 
light streams through the large window behind the 
Speaker's chair right upon the desk at which this 
figure sits. As the light shines upon his counte- 
nance, it gives dignity to a very handsome and 
clearly-cut profile. Thick black hair clusters in 
heavy masses above an expansive forehead and 
richly-fringed dark eyes. 

In the Senate the position occupied by this gentle- 
man (Mr. Toombs) is unquestioned and elevated. In 
fact, he takes rank as one of the best speakers there. 
His extempore remarks are quick, reasoning, and 
acute ; while his prepared speeches enchain attention. 
There is at all times, and on all occasions, an im- 
posing vigor in his language, tones, and gestures, 
keeping alive in his hearers the conviction that they 
are listening to an able-minded man. His voice in 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 73 

speaking is sharp and high, sometimes shrill and dis- 
sonant. We could wish more of the round, full, mel- 
low tone. His warmth and nervous energy make 
him a most attractive speaker. 

This gentleman's colleague, (Judge Iverson,) has 
a marked Scotch physiognomy, and a serious, digni- 
fied expression, like that of a man accustomed to 
think before he speaks. When you look at him you 
are not surprised to learn that he is distinguished in 
the Senate for his sound sense and accurate judg- 
ment. As a speaker, he transfers his view of a 
subject fully and easily to his hearers. His argu- 
ment is clear; his reply to objections rapid and con- 
clusive. With few shining points, with no violent 
appeals to feeling, with little declamation, he is 
simple, searching, strong, seldom impassioned, al- 
ways in earnest. 



XIX. 

ELEGANT ENTERTAINMENT AT GOVERNOR AIKEN'S. 
Washington, February, 1857. 

The most ''recherche'' and elegant party of the 
season came off last evening at one of those domes- 
tic miniature palaces, of which the ''west end'' of 
Washington can present quite a variety. The giver 
of this elaborate entertainment (Gov. Aiken, mem- 
ber from South Carolina,) has, during the six win- 

7 



74 



ters passed here, contributed largely to the enter- 
tainment of our fashionable world. It was generally 
known that this gentleman had declined his seat in 
Congress, and contemplated leaving his native 
country in a few months for a residence of some 
years abroad. In consequence of this, the most 
elaborate preparations insured a graceful perfection 
of toilet on the part of the guests in honor of this 
farewell "'fete.'' Our loveliest belles grew suddenly 
discontented with all their Parisian finery, and or- 
dered splendid new dresses for the grand occasion ; 
while Douglas's steam-heated ''green-house" was 
rifled of its choicest flowers for bouquets. 

The important night at length arrived, and oaths, 
flagellations, crash of panels, and an unintermitting 
plunge of irritated steeds, deafened the neighborhood. 
In the midst of this noisy overture we ascended the 
illuminated and garlanded staircase and entered the 
dressing-room, on the threshold of which we were 
saluted with a gust of perfumes, which we recognized 
as the incense offered by those within to the worship 
of their divine persons. Some half dozen African 
maids glided here and there among the moving mass 
of feathers and diamonds, as if placed there that 
their dark faces might throw out this dazzling array 
by force of contrast. 

We paused involuntarily at the door of this ex- 
quisitely-furnished apartment, which a Peri might 
have sighed to inhabit. Groups of beautiful girls 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 75 

stood before full-length mirrors, gazing doTpn into 
the polished glass. Tapering fingers were passed 
over polished shoulders ; and dainty-looking feet, 
in close-fitting slippers, were thrust from beneath 
fleecy dresses ; volumes of ringlets descended over 
the dimpled shoulders of young girls with symptoms 
of the nursery still clinging to their personal ap- 
pearance, their soft, blue eyes stealing timidly from 
their silken ambush up to the faces around them, and 
retreating behind the drooping lid with timid looks, as 
though chilled or scared back. As the dressing- 
room gave up its fair tenants, one by one, each came 
out gayly and airily, descending to the drawing- 
rooms as noiselessly as a bright mist rolls down a 
hill. 

At the end of the spacious rooms stood three 
figures, like patient sentinels keeping watch over 
the arriving and retreating guests. The centre 
figure was above the middle height, and the perfect 
symmetry and finely-developed proportions of her 
form made her appear even taller. The graceful, 
voluptuous contour well became the drapery of ex- 
quisitely-embroidered brocade which fell around it in 
heavy waves of silver. 

By her mother's side stood Miss A., a very young, 
simple-looking girl, totally devoid of pretension, 
dressed in white illusion, fleecy as the down under a 
bird's wing. Her white dress and the white lilies 
in her hair presented a fine and most tasteful con- 



76 



trast to tlie gorgeous drapery and flashing diamonds 
of Mrs. A. This unassuming girl will one day step 
into colossal fortune. And yet, dear reader, she will 
never become a "worldly woman." You might as 
well attempt to endow the swan with instincts of the 
eagle, or produce the foam and sparkle of a cataract 
in some level stream. Miss A.'s quiet manner and 
gentle air denote all that we have said ; that she is 
essentially a home-staying, heart-comforting, trouble- 
assuaging nature, born to enliven a quiet household. 

As we followed the stream toward the dancing 
apartment, an admirably-accorded band was pouring 
out the most exquisite waltz that ever breathed its 
harmonies on mortal ears. The walls of the ball- 
room — added to his residence by Mr. A. — were 
garlanded and adorned with such a profusion of 
evergreens and flowers, as to have the appearance of 
being fit for the occupation of those sylvan nymphs 
who were so abundant in the days of yore, or for 
those fairy elves who crouch within the lids of sleep- 
ing flowers. The orchestra platform was almost hid- 
den in festooned branches ; laurel wreaths, as grace- 
ful as stooping seraphims, formed the radii of its 
lattice-work, while its supporters lifted to the floor 
long, slender festoons of evergreens. 

"VYe should but show our own lack of power if we at- 
tempted to give any adequate idea of the panorama 
that here presented itself. There were foreign ambas- 
sadors who had taken their share in balls, banquets. 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 77 

and masquerades, both in Paris, Naples, and Vienna, 
"diplomats" who had swam in a gondola, and sere- 
naded under the balconies of Seville. There w^as 
the mantling bloom of girlish beauty, with its guile- 
less expression of countenance ; and matrons attired 
in satin robes and diamond tiaras, with a dignity of 
deportment more distinguishing than either. The 
whole presented the appearance of elegance and re- 
finement, essentially different from the more promis- 
cuous reunions of the "cabinet receptions," and 
were distinguished by a degree of exclusiveness and 
selection not always found at the former. 

We have contrived to screen ourself behind a 
lady. Do you feel a desire, dear public, to join us ? 
Come, then, take a seat on this French lounge, so 
easy that it may render somnolent the most brilliant 
talker ; come, and we will only ask you to follow our 
outstreched finger as we point out those who are 
most prominent. 

Before us stand two fine-looking men: one is 
the prosperous capitalist, the world-famed banker, 
George Peabody, who has roughed his way through 
the hard fare and hard work of a struggling boy- 
hood, learning that a man must square his elbows 
who has to push his way through a crowd. The 
other passed his childhood in silken leading-strings, 
where he learned the wisdom of standing still, that 
his way might be pushed for him. The boyhood of one 
7* 



78 LIFE IN WASHINGTON, AND 

has fed upon tHe corn, wine, and oil of this world ; 
the other upon its husks. 

But who is this passing down the rooms with the 
air of a queen ? Her eye glances fearlessly around, 
calm, quiet, self-possessed. The tall figure, the 
classical head, seen to great advantage with braided 
hair ; the features perfect, as if carved in marble ; 
the complexion, but for its clearness,, white and 
smooth as marble, too. The liquid eyes, with the 
shadowy lashes, belong to the lady of the Senator 
from Illinois. Near by, forming a strong contrast 
with her queenly air, stands a lily-o'-the-valley figure ; 
very lovely, as the soft light of the globe-shaded gas 
falls over it, is that sylph-like form; very beautiful is 
the low, white brow, with its blue- veined temples and 
wealth of golden curls ; the red lips, parted with a 
sunny smile, and the cheek, tinged with crimson, like 
a snow-wreath in the flush of sunset. This is the 
daughter of an esteemed official. Major Smith, re- 
cently married to an eminent lawyer of Louisville, 
Kentucky. 

Who is this comes forward so gracefully, looking 
so fresh, so easy, so gay, his handsome face beaming 
and his manner winning to every beholder ? This is 
the son of our former Senator from Delaware. 

Here comes the merriest, blithesomest creature that 
we ever saw. It seems impossible to bring a shade 
of seriousness over that joyous face ; if tears were 
to start from the eyes, they would be checked by a 



LIFE HERB AND THERE. 79 

smile or lost in a profusion of roguish dimples. This 
sweet girl is daughter of the member from New 
Jersey. 

But here comes the ladj of the Senator from 
Kentucky. Nothing can harmonize better than the 
magnificent dress, ostrich feathers, and superb scarf 
of lace which falls over it with such a gorgeous 
levity. Between the dress and the light folds of the 
scarf, relieved by the one, and tempered and half- 
hidden by the other, plays a diamond cross of rare 
beauty. This lady possesses more kind feeling than 
would serve a whole clique of the ordinary stamp of 
fashionables. 

We see seated upon a lounge, with a circle con- 
stantly around him, a gentleman with a superb head, 
and a face which wears a beaming smile as if he 
loved the whole world. He is not an old man ; but 
yet there is a patriarchal pathos in his expression 
and manner. This gentleman is the distinguished 
Indian Historian, (Mr. Henry Schoolcraft,) who has 
built an imperishable monument in the massive and 
splendid volumes, issued by Lippincott & Co., known 
as '■'Schoolcraft's Indian History y 

He does not often frequent the gay entertain- 
ments of our city ; for, we regret to record, he 
has been helpless for a score of years from a para- 
lysis of the limbs, and is brought here to-night only 
in compliment to his old friend, Governor Aiken, 
who leaves the country very shortly for a residence 



80 LIFE IN WASHINGTON, AND 

abroad. The placid clieerfulness of this gentleman's 
life, under a great affliction, helps one's faith in God 
and in each other more than many sermons. We 
have heard of few men more beloved, and of none 
more worthy to be loved. 

America is accused of suspending her certificate 
of merit toward mental superiority till confirmed by 
the vivat of Europe ; it is said we would hiss a 
Ristori if she were not first half-smothered in the 
bouquets of Paris. 

Few have received such compliments as this dis- 
tinguished gentleman. Diplomas from all the learned 
societies in the world, and the most flattering private 
letters from Humboldt, Baron Bunsen, and all the 
great minds of Europe reach his quiet study, though 
his extreme modesty prevents its being known be- 
yond the private circle of his friends. 

The daughter of one of our foreign Ministers stood 
conspicuous for her rare beauty. There was another 
girlish figure, sister-in-law of the Senator from 
Ohio, in white, with crimson flowers on her bosom. 
The expression of her face seemed a foreshadowing 
of that angelic likeness which we all hope one day 
to wear. 

The daughter of a naval officer, in white, with in- 
failt body, and a japonica on each sleeve-knot, had 
eyes like a wet violet, and tiny teeth, like pearls, 
which, though so white, were not vain teeth, but 
kept retired, and only showed themselves on great 
occasions. 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 81 

The Senator from South Carolina was the centre 
of an admh'ing circle. 

The coup d'ceil presented at the table in the sup- 
per-room was magnificent. A massive service of 
plate, cornucopias, pyramids, and towers of rare 
bon-bons and candied fruits met the eye. Among 
the servants in the supper-room was one in the livery 
of his master, with a skin like the inky cloak of 
the Prince of Denmark, reminding us of Walter 
Scott's '' Caleb." Attention to the ladies seemed 
to comprise for him all the grace and poetry of life. 
There was something irresistibly comical in the 
dainty tenderness with which he strove to adapt his 
masculine tones to flute-like accordance with the soft 
occasion, puckering all his ebon features into smiling 
wrinkles as he did so. He seemed to officiate as a 
sort of honorary lord chancellor for the controlment 
of the junior branches of the colored populace of 
the room. 

Behind the voluminous drapery of the window- 
curtains in the dancing-room, we noticed a little 
African of some eight years, having a dance all to 
himself, keeping perfect time with the music, with 
such vivacity of delight that his cheeks dimpled all 
over, and his black eyes seemed to float in radiance. 
Later in the evening, the host, while giving direc- 
tions to the orchestra, observed the little fellow un- 
derneath the platform, where he was decorating him- 
self with chains of the dropping laurel. He stooped 



82 LIFE IN WASHINGTON, AND 

and patted the woolly head; and we were struck with 
the expression of the child's face as he turned it up 
to his master's. There was a look of affection in 
the little face which would have carried conviction to 
the mind of Mrs. Stowe. We wish she could have 
been present to witness that little episode. We re- 
commend it to the respectful consideration of our 
Northern friends, whose tears are flowing freely for 
the sad and cruel treatment of Southern slaves. 

We feel some scruple in alluding to a couple who 
stood in the shadow of the drapery in the drawing- 
room ; for, on paper, courtships appear tedious ; and 
yet a fashionable party here would fall flat unless a 
little of that sort of thing was going on. 

During the evening the accomplished host, every 
now and then, with an admirable tact, contrived to 
attract the attention of any who seemed to have 
fallen aside out of observation. 

Those who have attended similar entertainments 
in Washington unite in pronouncing the '^fete' at 
Governor Aiken's as surpassing, in the number and 
distinction of its guests, in richness and elegance of 
dress, and in the sumptuous repast, any that has pre- 
viously been given this winter. 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 83 

XX. 

SCENE IN THE HOUSE— A WINTER IN WASHINGTON. 

Washington, February, 1857. 

After a recess of some days, the House met this 
morning, and from the hours of twelve to seven pre- 
sented a busy and extremely animated scene. Little 
pages of all sizes were running from one desk to an 
other, fidgety and unquiet, gliding about like rest- 
less ghosts doomed to everlasting craving. After 
motion, some few of the members were carelessly 
lounging on well-stuffed arm-chairs, with limbs "<i la 
Trollope,'" beguiling the time with daily papers, 
skimming the cream off the leading articles. Others 
were writing letters, appearing to take no sort of in- 
terest in any outward event, unless it was to start 
and give a negative when a vote was taken. 

In the galleries the assortment of visitors was as 
miscellaneous as usual. Groups of gentlemen might 
be seen clustered around ladies, gayly conversing as 
they gracefully leaned over the balustrade; while 
behind the mosaic columns were others '•'■ tete-a-tete" 
in a quiet flirtation. Reader, there are secrets in 
the keeping of those cosy galleries, secrets which 
might incite the most flagging goose-quill to flowing 
sentences. If those dumb pillars could speak the 
language of tale-bearing, what a revealing there 
would be of the human heart in its softest and holi- 



84 LIFE IN WASHINGTON, AND 

est phase, for those voiceless witnesses have listened 
to welcomes and farewells, have heard the tones of 
proud beauty subdued into the scarcely uttered 
breathings of tenderness, and the voice of haughty 
manhood grown tremulous with the accents of love ! 

We found much amusement in a party from Bos- 
ton seated next to us. One of the number was dili- 
gently improving his sight by means of an opera- 
glass, with which he read the faces of distant mem- 
bers, and reported this one to be Mr. Burlingame, 

and that one Mr. , all which particulars the 

ladies of the party seemed eagerly to drink in and 
lay to heart, nodding their assent like a tray of Man- 
darins on the head of an image boy. We stored one 
of their careful pieces of misrepresentation, for which 
we anticipate use some day. 

In another direction might be seen a group of fair 
young girls, with symptoms of the nursery still cling- 
ing to their personal appearance, who were listening 
with the sweetest smiles to the whispered flatteries 
distilled into their ears. It was evidently their "first 
winter," which has much significance to all here. 

The embarrassed '''member^'" whose ambitious wife 
has dreamed for years that the "'first winter' of her 
pretty daughter, if properly managed, would see her, 
at its close, the wife of a distinguished man, and who 
has consequently managed to sink in one short win- 
ter the savings of many years ; the brilliant belle 
who returns to her home only to find it cold and 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 85 

dreary, after the unnatural excitement of an admira- 
tion and attention which she never should have 
known, — these can understand the significance of 
these few words, "A winter in Washington.'' The 
young girl, as well as the young member, learns in 
the homage of that first winter to overvalue her at- 
tractions, because the world stamps them with its 
livery ; she learns to look on life as a mere showy 
pageant in which she is called upon to act a part, 
and to make that part striking and brilliant. 



XXI. 

DINNER TARTIES— CHANGE OF ADMINISTRATION. 

Washington, February, 1857. 

Dear reader, were you ever a guest at one of 
those intolerable dinner parties composed of prosy 
people in political life whom other people of esta- 
blished position are compelled to invite in Washing- 
ton, because they have the misfortune to be in pub- 
lic life ? Who shall attempt to enumerate the labors 
and anxieties of a mistress of a house where such 
dinners are given ? These luxurious bouquets are 
pleasant things enough for the guests, who are 
merely required to take their seats, to supply their 
quota of conversation, to eat, to drink, to applaud ; 
but little does the "diner-out" picture to himself the 

8 



86 LIFE IN WASHINGTON, AND 

amount of toil and care whicli the good things ot 
which he so calmlj partakes have involved upon the 
ladj of the mansion. 

This is public life here, in one of its many phases; 
yet where is the would-be public man who ever shrinks 
before the peril of such an undertaking? 

A fashionable dinner party in Washington is in- 
deed a grand military movement of black waiters ; 
the elegant ladies and gentlemen being merely lay- 
figures upon which the African army exercise their 
skill. Though generally considered stupid, we have 
no reason to complain, for we always find plenty to 
interest and amuse us. It is a quiet enjoyment to 
see the trained machinery of hands and arms out- 
stretched and active, placing and replacing; the un- 
heard footsteps and moveless countenances, leading 
to the belief that we are waited upon by automatons 
only; that we have a certain conviction that such si- 
lent living creatures must of necessity be very ob- 
servant, and we are even led to speculate upon what 
they will say when freed from restraint, and at per- 
fect liberty in those unexplored basements where 
they congregate. 

When the intervals between the course grow weari- 
some, we lean quietly back in our chair and begin 
counting how many wear caps, and peer phrenologi- 
cally at heads, and catch odds and ends of opinions ; 
and some one word sends us wondering far away 
from the well-bred festival, until our masculine ''vis 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 87 

d vis'' turns the glory of his countenance upon us, 
and inquires if we arc counting the variety of sweet- 
meats in the epergne. 

We need not tell our readers that the present ad- 
ministration will soon close. It is familiar to the 
country that, in a few weeks, there is to be a change 
of public men. 

In a few weeks a venerable man from a distant 
State will find himself suddenly elevated to the high- 
est honors of Washington popularity, smothered by 
the sudden caress of every human being bearing the 
most distant consanguinity to the house of "Bu- 
chanan," and overwhelmed by successive showers of 
visiting cards from all to whom he has ever been 
allied through the social link of a formal bow or 
courtesy. 

Dear old man ! sitting in his quiet study in Lan- 
caster, in. the innocence of his heart thinking no 
harm, not dreaming of what is impending over him ! 
In a few weeks he will be besieged by visitors to a 
number positively bew^ildering. He will be exposed 
to the thorough-going and coarse perseverance of 
heterogeneous mobs, come merely to stare at the new 
^''President," or to pay neighborly calls, or to pre- 
sent petitions for office. He will be the recipient of 
comj)liments enough to raise a smile on a Fakir's 
face. 

And he must bear these honors meekly ; he must 
smile with the blandness of a Howard under these 



88 LIFE IN WASHINGTON, AND 

inflictions. He cannot, like ''' Benvenuto Cellini' 
in the ''Coliseum^'" free himself from that ''monster' 
known bj the name of the "'loeople.''' He is not 
even allowed to exercise the power of the '' EncJiant- 
7'ess Queen' in the ''Arabian Nights." He cannot, 
like "Her Majesty," take a little water and throw 
it into the faces of each according to the necromantic 
formula. 

Such resources are not allowed "a puUic man." 

This is a part of the miseries of the in-coming 
President, which should be taken into proper con- 
sideration, and sympathized with as the case de- 
serves. We are sure it will be consolatory to him 
to think that he has sympathy in the perplexing 
dilemmas of his position. 

Dear, distant public, while the world is congratu- 
lating the successful candidate on having launched 
himself upon the dazzling sea which is the arena of 
so many hopes, he may soon feel, as the redoubtable 
hero Gulliver must have felt with the countless tiny 
threads of the Lilliputians entangling him in all di- 
rections, and may, ere many weeks elapse, mentally 
wish that he were "a little boy in the top of the elm- 
tree again." 

All the male population is in a ferment, preparing 
for the ''Inauguration Ball." The gentlemen have 
exhausted themselves in elegant conceits for the oc- 
casion. Indeed, the "Inauguration Ball" is the en- 
grossing subject of discourse ; many extravagant 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 80 

suggestions have been hazarded, and many wild as- 
sertions made. 

The session of Congress will soon close. The 
voices of those who have claims before that body are 
beginning to acquire a peevish inflexion. They be- 
gin to value time as a man who, in a trance, hears 
the nails knocking into his coffin, may be supposed 
to value life. 



XXII. 

RIGGS & CO.'S BANK. 
Washington, Februabt, 1857. 



The stranger visiting our city, when on his way to 
the Executive mansion, will observe on the corner of 
Fifteenth Street below President Square, a plain two- 
story building with a pointed roof, — a fine specimen 
of old-school architecture, — w^ith a quaint air of re- 
spectability about its plainness. The house is stuc- 
coed with a plain lead-color, and for years has not 
varied so much as the changing of the green blinds 
of the quaintly-shaped windows. This modest, un- 
assuming structure, (how different from those gor- 
geous houses on Wall Street, which seem to have 
thriven, like parasite plants, out of the substance of 
others !) was originally a branch of the old United 
States Bank until the failure of that monster insti- 
tution, when it became, and still continues, the pri- 



90 



vate banking house of our American Rothschilds, 
Corcoran ^' Riggs. The former head of the firm has 
recently retired, and it is now known as Riggs ^^ Co., 
a name familiar all over the globe. 

The internal arrangements of this establishment 
are most perfect ; nothing can surpass its order and 
regularity. Behind small screens fronting the en- 
trance door, the busy clerks are engaged in the ac- 
tive transaction of business, and over the desks a 
full-orbed time-piece keeps watch over the quill-driv- 
ing community below. 

This house is supported by enormous capital in the 
private property of the leading members of the firm, 
and being connected with the great financial opera- 
tions of the world, the suspension of other institu- 
tions are about as important to the well-established 
reputation of this, as the ripple of a midsummer sea 
to the stability of the Eddystone Lighthouse. When 
a reckless defaulter enters that tabernacle of money- 
changing, to account for a dishonored draft or explain 
away some just claim, the rigid justice of the spot in- 
sinuates, in iron whispers, that his visit is in vain. 

In a small room hung with several choice paint- 
ings, and divided by a door only from the desks and 
buff'-bound folios of the counting-room, may be found 
the leading members of the firm, the Napoleons of 
the numeration table, the Talleyrands of admiring 
stockbrokers and bewildered cashiers. In this con- 
sulting-room of financial science, this boudoir of mo- 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 91 

neyed leisure, surrounded by iron safes and deed- 
chests, wars and rumors of wars are talked of, ac- 
cording to their influence on the money market, and 
an inundation deplored according to the attendant 
fall of consols. In this region of government secu- 
rities and European bonds, the heads of the firm are 
the embodiment of pov/er, the mightiest power of the 
present age, the power of money. Those figures 
which he multiplies on that cloth-covered table, involve 
the spring of an influence almighty in the world of 
traffic, and shake the commercial world with a specu- 
lative earthquake. It is a mighty power that sits in 
that cozy bank parlor; and here the petitioner is re- 
ferred by the chief clerk to the heads of the houso 
for the word which is to pronounce his bill dishonored, 
or inscribe his check with ^^hlanJc." 

Throughout the country this firm exercise all the 
influence arising from a character of the highest in- 
tegrity, and maintain a high reputation in all their 
transactions. In all their business dealings the mo- 
tives are clearly laid open ; all is fair and above 
board ; no masked apartment in that quaint old 
structure. The sun shines searchingly into the 
length and breadth of it. No property is put in 
peril by their speculations. No widow's substance 
is wasted by their transactions. No money is here 
lent on usurious interest ; for these gentlemen are re- 
cognized as the proprietors of capacious hearts and 
purses, the strings of which are always open to the 



92 



encouragement of works of art, and to the liberal 
patronage of the struggling and impoverished author. 
Thej are, indeed, fine instances of what men of busi- 
ness should be, showing that the pursuit of wealth 
need not of necessity make men hard and narrow, 
that it may expand and invigorate all that is gene- 
rous, and make a man the benefactor of those within 
the circle of his influence. 



XXIII. 

ENTERTAINMENT AT MRS. WATTERSTON'S. 

Washington, February, 1857. 

The season of Lent has put a stop to the large 
dancing parties of our gay world, and we have sub- 
stituted the more agreeable and more rational "so- 
cial parties," which constitute one of the most plea- 
sant features of "Washington Life." The most 
delightful of these reunions came off last evening at 
the residence of one of our oldest citizens, widow of 
the late George Watterston, a gentleman known in 
the literary world as the author of "Glencairn" 
and "Lives of American Statesmen." His daughter, 
one of the most cultivated and intellectual orna- 
ments of society here, is an invalid, and it was to 
enliven the retirement to which impaired health had 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 93 

condemned her, that a select company of our resi- 
dent citizens were invited. 

As we entered the drawing-rooms of Mrs. W., 
where some twenty choice spirits had already assem- 
bled, the first thing that struck us was the elevated 
tone of conversation, so distinct from the usual col- 
loquial flippancy, so different from what one hears 
at Washington routs and assemblies. There was 
cast over all the speaking words, the originality and 
refinement of intellect ; not the usual small-talk, 
but talk variegated by sprays of wit, and seasoned 
by peculiarities of language. 

As our eye glanced around, it was arrested by a 
figure of middle size, with a noble phrenological de- 
velopment, and face after the most improved Lavater 
shape. There was a repose in his manner which 
seemed to infuse into everything about him some- 
thing serene and refining. This person's soul, dear 
reader, has an inner temple, a veiled chamber, 
to which the world is not admitted. To him is given 
the talisman to unlock the portals of nature and read 
truths unseen by common natures. He peeps into 
the hearts of the young flowers, and sips daintily 
the sweets which dwell on their fresh lips. When 
he feels the enfolding clasp of the angel Avithin, 
a thousand harps are tuned, and at every touch 
comes a rich gush of melody. 

The works of this poet (Rufus Dawes) are already 



94 



exalted to the same shelf with those of Buchanan 
E-ead, Percival, and Dana. 

Glancing in another direction, we saw the poetry 
of form^ represented in the person of a distinguished 
sculptor of our city, — a man of tremhling sensibility, 
with a genius almost feminine in its delicacy. His 
exquisite busts of Benton and Chief-Justice Taney 
are said, by connoisseurs, to combine the delicacy of 
Powers and the elaborate and finished execution of 
Greenough. The beauty of these works of art has 
led Congress, at its last session, to commission this 
gentleman (Dr. Stone) to cut in marble a statue of 
John Hancock, for the east wing of the Capitol. 
The poetical contour of his head, and sensitive 
quiver of his features in conversation, indicate the 
man of genius. 

Near this gentleman stands one who spends 
his life sitting in critical judgment upon govern- 
ments, dynasties, presidents, and cabinets. Dis- 
tinguished statesmen incline their heads reveren- 
tially when they hear mention of his name. He is 
known to be an unsparing hater of intrigue, a sworn 
enemy to political imposture ; he unmasks corruption, 
pokes his pen into every description of abuse, pro- 
motes every species of inquiry, and carves govern- 
mental measures into mince-meat. This gentleman 
(Mr. Kingman) is known throughout the country as 
the Napoleon of correspondents, the Talleyrand of 
admiring editors and bewildered politicians. 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 95 

Mingling familiarly with the company was a sil- 
very head, and a face with such a spiritual expres- 
sion, that it reminded us of a pictured Raphael. 
His voice, too, comported with the mild moonlight 
of his appearance ; he talked so easily and elegantly, 
with such earnest quiet of manner, that we almost 
wished him to talk on forever. This interesting per- 
son is an artist of our city, and son of the lamented 
Judge Cranch of the District Court. 

Among the ladies present was a brilliant brunette 
from Georgia, with teeth like pearls, and dark eyes, 
in whose depths the fervid sun of the South appeared 
to have left a portion of its radiance. 

The daughter of our former " Indian Commis- 
sioner," the universally-esteemed Mr. Luke Lea, was 
there, in a dress of white crape, a sprig or two of 
glossy-leaved, red -berried holly fastened in her hair; 
it was indeed 

"A sure cure for sad eyes 
To gaze upon her face." 

Vivacity and repose seem united in this fair girl's 
nature, as the lively tinting of some delicate blossom 
is mingled with the dreamy influence of its rich per- 
fume. 

The daughter of one of the leading members of 
the "Washington Bar," Mr. Fendall, was there; a 
versatile and brilliant belle, who is a privileged 
"wit" in society here, expected to say what nobody 



96 



else can say. Her face is full of a hundred laugh- 
ing fancies, and a certain careless ease of expression 
denotes that she is not afraid of her own voice, and 
never hesitates to laugh or retort when the impulse 
is upon her. 

About eleven o'clock we were summoned to an 
exquisitely-arranged supper-room, delicate viands, 
and wines of the best brands and flavor. Twelve 
o'clock arrived before we scarcely thought it an 
hour ; indeed, the whole evening appeared only an 
hour, — a dear, delightful, dreamy, midsummer hour. 



XXIV. 

FOUllTH OF MARCH— INAUGURAL OF MR. BUCHANAN. 

Washington, March, 1857. 

The morning of the 4th of March opened with a 
bright sunshine, so bright that the air felt almost 
like summer. Everything seemed to smile a wel- 
come to the venerable man who was, on this day, to 
take the high place he is to f^ll among us. 

The sun made a bright path for him ; in the broad, 
public grounds the fresh turf diffused its tribute of 
welcome ; little-winged people wet their wings and 
sang with bursts of gladness ; brooks frolicked and 
jostled their tiny drops together, and leaped and 
sparkled a gay welcome; sprouting leaves seemed to 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 97 

deepen their delicate, emerald tint, and rustle and 
kiss each other lovingly for joj; even the violets 
shook off their winter slumbers and opened their 
bright eyes to greet him. Every ripple, every 
breeze, and every sweet, feathered thing, seemed to 
rejoice in the coming event. 

Our city also exhibited signs of joyful prepara- 
tion. No one seemed to betake himself to his cus- 
tomary employment. In the public buildings was 
not heard the accustomed hum and bustle of busi- 
ness. The closed doors, the silence around, attested 
the absence of the employees. The streets were 
early filled with government clerks, standing in 
groups, talking merrily to each other on what ap- 
peared to be a subject of joyous import. The 
juvenile population seemed also astir at an unusual 
hour. At almost every turn might be seen fresh 
nursery maids, and playful children, dancing and 
prattling and clapping their tiny hands, as if in ex- 
pectation of some coming event of joyful excitement. 
Servants and runners at the hotels wore an unusual 
air, walking to and fro, or sitting with limbs care- 
lessly crossed, as if detained out of doors in expecta- 
tion of some coming circumstance. 

By nine o'clock all Washington was alive. Trains 
of cars poured rapidly in, filled with strangers from 
dijQferent cities. Crowds suddenly, and as if by magic, 
appeared emerging from every corner, and Pennsyl- 
vania Avenue was soon filled with well-dressed pedes- 

9 



98 



trians on the look-out for the procession. From the 
"White House" to the Capitol, windows, balconies, 
and roofs were thronged. At private windows stood 
lovely women with wreaths and bouquets of flowers, 
while from the public buildings, from the turrets of 
the Capitol, floated flags, as for a victory. 

Washington opened thus her arms to receive the 
man whose election had been a triumph over North- 
ern fanaticism. 

About twelve o'clock the discharge of cannon an- 
nounced the "move" of the procession. Aristo- 
cratic equipages, with diplomats and officers in uni- 
form, or beautiful women, on their way to the "east 
wing," in advance of the cavalcade, passed rapidly 
along. Detachments of the police were active in 
regulating the movements of the crowd of pedes- 
trians in waiting, whom it was difficult to keep with- 
in due bounds. At length the music became audible 
in the distance, increasing, until vehement shouts 
and cheers announced that it was near at hand. As 
soon as the cheers of the people — louder almost than 
the artillery which signalized the first movements of 
the procession — was heard, all strained their eyes "at 
the advancing pageant." The nodding mass of gor- 
geous uniforms was most imposing, when viewed ad- 
vancing from a distance, with the heads of the cheer- 
ing multitude intervening. 

First came the six Marshals in rich badges of 
orange-colored silk ; then came the " Flying Artil- 



LIFE HERE AND THEEE. 99 

lery," from Fort McHenry, drawn by some sixty 
horses. At a little interval from these followed 
whole squares of military, their arms polished like 
mirrors, their march regular and their mien erect, 
looking neither to the right nor to the left. The 
cheerful looks of these gallant bands appeared to 
sympathize with the occasion ; while their mien be- 
trayed the discipline and harmony of men who had 
served an apprenticeship to arms. 

Following these, drawn by two splendid grays, came 
an open carriage ; the horses were of the rarest breed, 
their beautiful limbs seeming to disdain the ground, 
and yet, at the slight touch of the driver, they paused, 
motionless, as if suddenly transformed into stone. 
As this vehicle passed on, the sound of the music 
was drowned by cheers that seemed to shake our 
city to its centre. Superb flowers fell in and around 
this equipage; handkerchiefs and banners waved 
from every window, and, amidst flashing uniforms and 
exulting music, such as might have hailed an em- 
peror, the President elect of a nation of freemen 
passed along. It was impossible not to discern, in 
the acclamations of the people, an enthusiasm ar- 
dent and genuine, which it would be impossible to 
counterfeit. The prancing of the horses, the dazzle 
of the uniforms, and the tossing to and fro of the 
standards, presented one of the gayest and most 
brilliant spectacles. 

Within an hour the vast crowd was at the Capitol 



100 LIFE IN WASHINGTON, AND 

gates, marslialed in long lines on either side, leav- 
ing a broad space in the centre, awaiting the order 
of their leader to enter. The music struck up a 
louder and gladder strain as the appointed marshals 
made way with diJEculty for the more distinguished 
to enter within the gates first ; and such was the rush 
and press to obtain admittance, that scarcely had 
these entered ere the crowd poured headlong in, and 
took their way to the east front of the Capitol, which 
was to be the scene of the inauguration. 

On a platform erected over the steps of the east 
wing, but high enough to be in sight of all, was 
placed a table, on which, clear and prominent, was a 
copy of the Holy Bible. Around the table were the 
high officers of the country, and seated around were 
all the marked personages of our city. The nodding 
of plumes and the glitter of jewels presented a scene 
that none could behold without a sparkling eye and 
swelling heart. 

The space below the platform had been crowded for 
several hours previous to the arrival of the President 
elect, by such persons as were not entitled to ap- 
pointed and special seats. As the crowd poured in 
there was a struggle to gain access to this one par- 
ticular spot. While they were pushing and scram- 
bling, the hubbub suddenly ceased, as a commanding 
figure, with slow and majestic steps, came to the front 
of the platform. His whole appearance was on a 
noble scale ; he seemed formed for prominence, 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 101 

and to his conspicuous position was as well propor- 
tioned as a cedar-tree to Mount Lebanon, a "grand 
seigneur" to the manor born. His head was bare, 
and, as he looked steadfastly around, the high and 
thoughtful gravity of his majestic countenance hushed 
the impatient crowd. There was a second of intense 
quiet, then cheer after cheer rent the air. 

Never was there a more striking subject for the 
painter-genius than the scene exhibited. The tall, 
erect figure of the President elect, dressed, with his 
habitual precision, in a suit of black, towering above 
the crowding throng of his applauding countrymen. 
Above his head the sweeping arches of the Capitol 
rose grand and high; the bright sun casting the 
whole edifice into the strongest relief of light and 
shade, while far in the back-ground rose that marble 
ant-hill, destined, we fear, like the Cathedral of 
Cologne, and the Palace of the Louvre, to be im- 
mortal in incompleteness. Dim in the distance rose 
the spires and roofs of our city, w^hile below, bathed 
in sunlight, lay the Capitol grounds in all their 
beauty. Around stately groups of sculpture looked 
mutely from their pedestals. Before him rose the 
statue of Washington, in all its marble majesty, — 
the uplifted arm seeming unconsciously to point, with 
greater significance, above. Greenough's noble group, 
with its stony figures, rose one above the other, while 
the haughty brow of the God of War, and the still 



102 LIFE IN WASHINGTON, AND 

form of the Goddess of Peace, looked from their 
niches upon the imposing scene. 

A sensation of solemnity seemed to elevate the 
speaker as his eye rested on the sea of faces before 
him. 

Although but a short distance from where he 
stood, we could only hear the faint sound of his 
voice as he commenced his Inaugural ; we could only 
perceive the effect created upon all, as a cheer, more 
earnest, more prolonged than the first, betokened 
the close of his speech. 

After a minute's pause the crowd broke in all 
directions, and poured down the avenue in various 
knots and groups, each testifying the strong impres- 
sion made upon the multitude by the address. 



XXV. 

TRIP TO NEW YORK. 
AYashington, March, 1857. 

We have had adventures by "land and sea" since 
our last, and, for want of an audience, we are again 
beguiled into the weakness of print. 

We accepted an invitation from a party of friends, 
and accompanied them on a visit to New York, and 
now, on our return, we purpose giving you some ac- 
count of our trip, impressions, etc. 



LIFE HERE AND THEEE. 103 

After partaking of an early breakfast, on the 
morning of March 19, we reached the Washington 
Depot, amid the excitement, noise, and confusion 
which always attend the arrival and departure of a 
train of cars. Our party preferred securing an 
early seat to a lengthened sitting in the ladies' apart- 
ment, and we had, from the car window, an edifying 
view of the interior of a "Railroad depot." 

There was one great building, with huge, open 
doors, the hospital for sick engines ; and we could see 
the metallic patients in all sorts of uncomfortable 
postures, while the medical gentlemen employed 
b|inged them with hammers and screws unflinchingly 
in their vital parts. Other engines were advancing 
and retreating, running from one line of rail to an- 
other, never apparently at peace, always fidgety 
and unquiet, gliding and sliding about like restless 
ghosts doomed to everlasting craving after motion. 

As six o'clock the bell gave the final signal; there 
was a heavy panting, a shrill shriek, a slight move- 
ment, accompanied by an under-current of motion 
which seemed as though the pulses of the mighty 
machine were throbbing with impatience ; a few 
parting injunctions pealed out from iron lungs, — and 
a plunge into the open air. 

The first few miles were got over in silence. Some of 
the passengers, with tickets in their hats, had plunged 
into the scenery and adventures of pamphlet novels, 
and were keeping company with dukes and earls.* 



104 



Others beguiled the tedium of the way with daily 
papers, skimming the cream off the leading articles, 
seeming greatly interested in the report of a Wo- 
man's Rights Convention, two columns and a half 
long. In this dreary subject the pursuers took great 
interest, though we observed one of the maculines 
(hard-hearted creature !) fold his paper, with a mut- 
tered remark "that women had too many rights 
already." 

About four o'clock we reached the city of "Bro- 
therly Love," (love like that of the first brothers, we 
have heard it insinuated,) where we designed remain- 
ing for the night, a portion of our party not being 
equal to the fatigue of the entire route through. 

We will not attempt to describe the scene of con- 
fusion when we arrived at the Philadelphia depot, 
where our party were beset on all sides by hackmen. 
One shouted out to us to go to the "United States," 
another screamed the name of the "Girard House," 
while a third roared for us to pass on. From the 
moment this baggage war commences, the lady tra- 
veler, deafened and confounded, may draw back 
into her shell like an affrighted snail, the depot, until 
that matter is settled, being no place for a lady. 

We found the " Girard House" fully sustained its 
reputation as a first-class hotel. Everything con- 
ducted on the best principle. The slightest touch 
of a bell brought precisely the servant that was 
wanted. If the "slaves of the lamp" had known 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 105 

what they were about, such arrangements would have 
imparted greater charm to Aladdin's Magic Palace 
than window^s of ruby or crowns of topaz. 



XXVI. 

ON THE DELAWARE-AKHIVAL AT NEW YORK. 

Washixgto:n, Makch, 1857. 

Having decided to go by water to New York, we 
stepped on board one of the fine boats of the New 
York line, about nine o'clock, on the morning after 
our arrival at Philadelphia. When the bustle and 
confusion incidental to the stowing away of freight 
and baggage had subsided, the plank was drawn in, 
and we very soon cleared the shipping in the harbor, 
with its bewildering perplexity of sound and move- 
ment. Though many have steamed up and down the 
Delaware, times without number, few have seen the 
river. Some have always steamed it in their sleep ; 
some have plunged at once into the cabin, to avoid 
the passengers on deck ; some have escaped the 
vision by the clouds of a cigar ; some by a novel and 
a dinner. But few can recollect anything more of 
it than that it flows through banks more or less 
miry, and that it is, to the best of their recollection, 
something longer than the Chesapeake Canal. 

There were few passengers, and the weather being 



106 LIFE IN WASHINGTON, AND 

lovely for the season, we could enjoy the view from 
the deck without personal inconvenience. 

Among the passengers was a gentleman who 
seemed mad with love and despair. He had evi- 
dently been spurred into frantic activity by recent 
rejection. For hours during the day he paraded the 
deck, whistling "Love Not" in divers keys, and with 
so many variations, that more than one of our party 
devoutly wished him overboard. As night came on, 
he swallowed a tremendous glass of Cognac, and 
disappeared below. Very much to be pitied were 
the ladies whose state-rooms were not very remote 
from this gentleman. Snatches of song — rhapsodies 
to which those of Nat Lee would sound tame and 
prosaic — were distinctly audible from his berth the 
live-long night. The Bay, which was in a state of 
unusual calm, was probably overawed by the storm 
raging in the breast of this unhappy Romeo. But 
these moral typhoons are seldom of long dura- 
tion, and we doubt not, ere this, the individual re- 
ferred to is as placid and docile as any domestic 
animal. 

Long after midnight we fell asleep, lulled by the 
measured 'tread of the watch directly over us, the 
moaning of the wind, and the gurgling and surging 
of the water as the boat plowed through it. The 
early sunshine of the following morning showed us 
the flat river banks from our state-room window, and, 
hurrying on deck, the scene that presented itself, as 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 107 

we approaclied New York, almost baffles description. 
We passed mighty docks filled with fleets, buildings 
worthy of Babylon, and echoing with the sounds of 
hammers, cranes, forges, and enginery. And then 
the life and bustle that pervaded the scene ! In one 
direction, groups of chatting seamen were singing 
boisterous negro songs from a ship just entering ; 
coopers were hammering at casks, ropes spla'shing in 
the water, captains shouting their orders through 
their hands, and empty casks rolling along with a 
hollow, drum-like sound. 

Upon the wharf at which we at length stopped, 
what a rush of life ; what a rattle of wagons ; what 
a surge of population ; what a chaos of clamor ; what 
rushing of porters, and trundling of trunks ; what 
solicitation to trust ourselves for instant conveyance 
to the remotest hotel in the city ! In a feeling little 
short of desperation, our party flung themselves into 
the first hack they could reach, and, to our genuine 
self-congratulation, found that we were under no 

compulsion to be carried beyond the Hotel. 

Once anchored down, we were soon ushered into an 
elegantly-furnished room, where a bright fire blazed 
in the highly-polished grate ; crimson curtains cast 
a ruddy and genial glow upon a tapestry carpet and 
upon the table. The cofiee-urn was bubbling and 
steaming, while ample high-backed well-stuffed chairs 
stood near, and the "Tmes" opened its extremest 
dimensions upon a centre table. 



108 LIFE IN WASHINGTON, AND 



XXVII. 

NEW YORK HOTEL— VISIT TO BALL AND BLACK'S JEWELRY 
ESTABLISHMENT. 

Washington, April, 1857. 

About four o'clock on the day of our arrival din- 
ner was announced, and we retreated from the win- 
dow, where we had been watching the hurry and 
bustle of life without, to a table, the peculiarities of 
which might have rendered it the theme of quarterly 
essayists. We felt as if we had been taken to a res- 
taurant, where people eat their ragout with a spoon, 
and attempt to render the miraculous draught of 
fishes digestible by miraculous draughts of patent 
medicines under the name of fish sauces. The bill 
of fare positively required one's throat to be mac- 
adamized. Nothing but a salamander could be nou- 
rished without excruciation upon the series of currie, 
Cayenne, and spices. For ourselves, we adhered to 
the sirloin in preference to the dainty bits of var- 
nished leather, a la this, and a la that, successively 
brought round by the waiters. 

Half the Stock Exchange seemed seated at the 
table; moneyed men from Pearl Street, stockbro- 
kers from the Exchange, and spare bankers from 
Wall Street, most of them exhibiting the complexion 
of an apple in the receiver of an exhausted air-pump. 
These enfranchised men of business could talk of 
nothing but capital. 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 109 

There was a millionaire among them who seemed, 
with the servants, to be a regal personage. Thej 
quoted his sayings, and when he said nothing, won- 
dered what he thought. As he ran on, we involun- 
tarily glanced toward a silver claret pitcher, wishing, 
for once, that its capacity did not prevent us ascer- 
taining to what amount the disappearance of the fra- 
grant '' Chateau Latour ' that glowed within accounted 
for the fluency of its owner. 

In the drawing-room, whither we adjourned, the 
study of the various groups was deeply interesting to 
us. One dear old gentleman, in a half-reclining po- 
sition on a French lounge, was enduring the agonies 
of the annual influenza, inevitable in New York, 
owing to the east winds, and yet paying compli- 
ments to a sweet girl by his side between the pauses 
of his ipecacuanha lozenges. 

There was a group, surrounding a circular table, 
who had traversed France, Germany, Switzerland, 
and Italy; visited cathedrals, galleries, mountains, 
and water-falls, operas, grottoes, and Houses of As- 
sembly; learned to distinguish one popular singer 
from another, and to call the p7'emieres danseuses of 
the three great capitals by their correct names ; pur- 
chased rare pictures, and several busts and statues. 
We soon learned from their conversation that they 
were novelties just then fresh from the Carnival, 
bright from a regeneration at Paris. 

While in New York, we visited Ball & Black's 
10 



110 LIFE IN WASHINGTON, AND 

famous jewelry establislinient. We passed down 
Broadway, with its bustle of exhibition rooms and 
auction offices ; its motley array of lounging dandies ; 
its omnibuses ; its coal carts, wagons, drays ; its im- 
patient throngs; its intrusive beggars, thrusting 
themselves forward like highwaymen to arrest the 
pedestrian ; its wealth of luxury in shop windows ; 
its gorgeous jewels, glittering time-pieces, brilliant 
glass, noble engravings, costly furniture. As we 
pushed our way down this vast thoroughfare, nothing 
affected us more, nothing struck a deeper and ten- 
derer chord in our bosom, than the number and de- 
plorable aspect of the little beggar children who 
seemed to present themselves at every step of our 
way. Here in this heart of refinement and pros- 
perity we were met at every step by little outcasts, 
their features wasted by want and privation, their 
limbs pinched with hunger, and blue with cold, and 
their faces looking as though unvisited for weeks by 
smiles or ablutions. 

There was one little girl with such a sweet, sad 
expression, that we involuntarily stopped and spoke 
to her. She answered our questions very clearly, 
but the heavy, sad look never left her eyes a mo- 
ment. We recall even now the quiver of that child's 
thin white lips as she told her simple story. 

''Abolitionists'' of New York ! you whose sympa- 
thies with the wide colored humanities are so fresh 
and clear; who cherish such pitiless, unrelenting 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. Ill 

scorn of the slaveholder ; whose charity is so broad, 
deep, universal for liberty, human rights, and uni- 
versal brotherhood, — there is no slavery on the wide 
surface of our country can be found comparable to 
that which we have seen within the area of a mile 
around your dwellings ! Do you think that when 
these children came into the world, there was no 
milk in mothers' breasts for them, no Divine solicitude 
about them, no tenderness in the heart of Christ, 
that you suffer them to cuddle in rags and shiver on 
your sidewalks, often kicked and cuffed by the passer- 
by ? Arrest the fearful amount of young life which 
is running to waste in your city, cast aside and over- 
looked; ameliorate the condition of the suffering 
children of your city, ere you proffer sympathy and 
aid to those who need it not. 



XXVIII. 

PARTY AT AN UP-TOWN FASHIONABLE'S. 

Washington, April, 1857. 

Our party were invited, while in New York, to 
an evening party of one of the "up-town" fashion- 
ables. 

The ascent of stone steps, — their balustrade 
guarded by sculptured animals, — the lofty entrance, 
and the tall footmen who admitted us, gave the sense 



112 LIFE IN WASHINGTON, AND 

of entering a palace. In the hall a vista of marble 
pillars and statues opened before us, and the air was 
fragrant with the rare flowers adorning the flower- 
stands. 

There was a charming queen of New York fashion^ 
dressed after the plate of the Journal des Modes, 
who kindly pointed out to us the most conspicuous 
persons present. 

There was one foreign-looking individual ; he was 
introduced to us as a ^'M'ench Vicomte,'' who, small 
as he was, had been fractured by the reverberation 
of the coup d'Stat, and who evidently fancied that he 
had achieved a position for life as its victim. He 
had dabbled in press intrigues, and as Louis Napo- 
leon did not choose to be conspired against without 
returning it, he was now, like his friend Hugo, "eat- 
ing the bitter bread of banishment." It served to 
beguile the evening to listen to the marvelous histo- 
ries related by this diamond edition of a conspira- 
tion. Many of his adventures were as wild as if 
invented by Hofiman, and might put to blush the 
wildest imaginings of "Kid" or "Paul Jones." 

His only consolation seemed to be that the present 
state of France could not continue, (when did a ba- 
nished intriguant say otherwise ?) and the restoration 
to honor and influence of himself and his friends 
would once more restore in France the balance of 
power. 

He had very recently arrived in New York from 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 113 

the Isle of Wight, and evidently expects to become 
a great lion, under the pilotage of New York "lion- 
hunters." But even in this city oi loonder-mongers 
the exiled patriot market has been long overstocked. 
Let a Brutus make his appearance, with his estates 
ever so confiscated, or his papers ever so burned, he 
would have little chance of picking up a livelihood in 
this centre of civilization. 

In the beginning of the evening our curiosity was 
excited by the entree of a gentleman who was greeted 
with the enthusiasm due to a victor returning from 
Marathon. This individual, we learned, was the 
model man of Wall Street, distinguished for the mag- 
nitude and consistency of his subscriptions to all 
public charities and institutions. Stockbrokers re- 
spectfully nodded as he glanced their way ; and gray- 
headed men stood aside with reverence for the pas- 
sage of the promoter of half the charitable institu- 
tions of the metropolis. 

The boyhood of this gentleman had been none of 
the easiest, for he had commenced life without a dol- 
lar. He had never laid his head on a pillow of down, 
poor boy ! nor had a softer covering than a heavy 
patch-work quilt, stufied with cotton; indeed, we 
learned that even the quilt was sometimes lacking, 
and that he might have rolled up his day-wearables 
to rest his head upon. 

How did he amass his millions ? By able specu- 
lation with the fortunes of others; by the risk of 
10* 



114 



what was not his own, and what, if lost, he would 
have been unable to replace. A blunder might have 
involved hundreds of families in ruin. 

This gentleman cultivates, in his country-seat hot- 
houses, a variety of tropical fruits which are grown 
nowhere else in America. It is said his fruit-stands 
are of gold. During the evening he inflicted his 
green-house and forcing-houses upon us like a prize 
fruit-grower. 

One of the guests was a source of some amusement 
to us ; one, we should think, engaged to supply the 
small-talk of parties, as a confectioner is engaged to 
furnish bon-bons for refreshment. He seemed to 
adapt himself to every one, talking a sort of sensible 
scandal with a superior air of regret. 



XXIX. 

DINNER PARTY. 



Washington, April, 1857. 

Nothing is more stupid than to imagine that in 
New York a man may be foreseen by means of his 
calling, like a porter by his ticket, or a cabman by 
his badge. We had been invited to a "dinner party" 
during our stay in that city, and had understood that 
a canonical guest of distinction in the religious world 
would be present. We had expected to hear an im- 
pressive grace from this dignitary of the church, but 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 115 

were disappointed, for as long as the soup was on 
the table we were left in admiration of his empty 
chair. 

We kept constantly snatching glances toward the 
door, in the expectation of seeing a calm, grave 
shadow glide into the room. Our readers will con- 
sequently appreciate our amazement, when, just as 
the silver cover was lifted from the salmon, a burly 
step was heard in the hall, drowned as it entered the 
room, by the stentorian volume of voice that cried, 
as if doing justice to a halloo — ''Beg pardon, ladies ; 

beg pardon, my dear Mrs. . My bureau and I 

have been tumbling each other upside down for the 
last hour, to find a cravat not too starched for this 
occasion !" After bowing slightly to us in return 
for the introduction intruded upon us at that inop- 
portune moment by our host, he observed, — "The 
French prefer caper sauce with salmon, but within 
safe distance of the sea, nothing like a fresh lob- 
ster!" — as though we had spent previous years to- 
gether, discussing the mysteries of the stove and 
saucepan. 

"Madeira," said he, when the waiter ofiered him 
Sherry or Champagne. And a few minutes after- 
wards, having seized the occasion to examine this 
jolly hon-vivant, we could not help thinking that the 
white cravat had much more of the butler out of 
place, or commodore on the retired list, than of the 
divine. 



116 



As the Madeira warmed him into conversation, he 
talked racily of stocks and sturdily of railway bonds, 
and finally discussed with his host the death of one 
of his wealthy members, a Fifth Avenue millionaire, 
who had departed this life on the preceding day. 
The amount of his property, the sum left to certain 
metropolitan charities, was coolly and methodically 
detailed. The sorrows of the bereaved family seemed 
to awaken no thought in this discussion. ISTot one 
word of sympathy for the aching hearts which were 
throbbing with anguish under a heavy bereavement. 
Not one thought for those who kneel beside the dead 
in heartfelt grief. He had died ricJi, and in this 
vortex of money-getting, the deceased man's pro- 
ferty was the one thing thought of. 

The dinner was luxurious ; the table groaned, and 
the heated attendants hustled each other in their 
anxiety to be everywhere at once, and to do every- 
thing for everybody at the same time. On adjourn- 
ing to the drawing-rooms the company divided in 
groups. Some collected around the fine-toned piano, 
and appeared to enjoy the music afibrded them by 
the young ladies of the party. The elder ladies sat 
together in a group, and conversed on such sage af- 
fairs as their household cares afibrded, and it would 
have amused, or perhaps enlightened a more youth- 
ful listener, to hear the excellent maxims for manag- 
ing refractory children and servants, which emanated 
from this wise jury of matrons. Their lords eschew- 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 117 

ing music, discussed the prices of the stock-market, 
the last news from Europe, and such kindred topics, 
until coifee was brought in. After swallowing the 
strong black liquid, which was offered in diminutive 
porcelain cups, a visit to the conservatory and gal- 
lery attached to the house was proposed. A short 
walk brought us to a large conservatory, built on a 
light and beautiful model, and occupying a distant 
wing of the house ; and on this bright day the doors 
were opened wide to display the wealth of flowers 
within. 

We pushed from this abode of Flora through an 
arched door into a room, the walls of which were 
filled with book-cases of dark wood, quaintly carved. 
The chairs and library table were of walnut, elabo- 
rately carved. The windows of ruby-colored glass 
cast a brilliant glow, and assisted in giving a mel- 
lowed tint to rare paintings and exquisite sculpture. 



XXX. 

VISIT TO A NEW YORK COTTNTRY-SEAT. 

Washixgtox, April, 1857. 

We devoted one morning of our stay in New York 
to a drive in the environs of the city. The hack- 
man stirred his horse with a chirrup and a touch of 
the lash ; and we left the hotel to travel miles, it 



118 LIFE IN WASHINGTON, AND 

seemed, tlirough those streets. A long array of 
shops and warehouses ; a stream of vehicles, beside 
our own, in the centre of the way ; now and then a 
break into some wider space, a square, or junction of 
streets ; here and there a great public building, or 
an old house, which we felt sure must be something 
notable, if anybody were by to point it out. Inte- 
rested and curious at first, we became quite stunned 
and dizzy with a strong suspicion that we had been 
singled out for a mysterious destiny, and that the 
hack-driver had some desperate intention of madden- 
ing his passengers by driving them round and round 
in a circle through these bewildering streets. 

Nothing but the jolting din of our vehicle, the jar 
over stones, and houses gliding past us, gave evi- 
dence of progress. As we approached the more 
aristocratic quarter of the city, carriages were rush- 
ing about in all directions. At one great mansion, 
with a portico supported by Corinthian columns, and 
guarded on either hand by a lion couchajit, carved 
in stone, there was a jumble of vehicles, and a tem- 
porary stoppage of ours. The door was open, ser- 
vants in livery were seen in the hall, and a dashing 
equipage was just setting down its freight. The 
high-blooded grays pranced and pawed for a moment, 
evincing symptoms of displeasure at finding them- 
selves disturbed by hackney coaches, brewers' drays, 
and other unaristocratic vehicles, strange in shape, 
and alarming in sound to their high mettle. 



LIFE nERE AND THERE. 119 

As Tve approached our destination, the courtly-like 
expanse of up-town was gradually left behind, the 
handsome dwellings becoming fewer, until they dis- 
appeared altogether. The aspect of the scenes into 
which we now emerged presented a striking contrast 
to those we had left. We passed through dull streets, 
whose only visible population were myriads of chil- 
dren, now chastising a hopeless live kitten, as it 
twisted out of the strings which harnessed it to a 
cart of stones ; here playing at school on a soiled 
door-step, and illustrating the theory of education by 
the most merciless castigation, the dealing out of 
which seemed the great business of the scene ; there 
arranging a banquet of sand pies, with orange-peel 
for the entrees and tafiy for the entremets. On one 
of the door-steps a family group were seated, their 
heads in one another's laps, busily engaged in per- 
forming for each other those kind offices, the nature 
of which we must leave to the imagination of the 
reader. 

We soon, however, left this uninteresting neighbor- 
hood for rich landscapes and stately country-seats — 
country-seats such as McGuire would delight to de- 
scribe in his largest capitals and most sonorous pe- 
riods, were they to fall at any moment under his 
hammer. The stately models of aristocratic resi- 
dences seemed built in order to gratify the taste of 
those who care less whether Lazarus be sitting fa- 
mished and suffering at their gates, than that the 



120 



gates should be of sufficient solidity to exclude the 
spectacle of so piteous an object. 

The Wall Street banker glories in making it almost 
as agreeable to his guests as a mansion in Fifth Ave- 
nue, by bringing up daily from the city the fresh- 
est fish and city gossip, the last new books and en- 
gravings, periodicals, and caricatures. The hard- 
working entertainer of a fashionable country-seat 
party exercises his laborious ingenuity that nothing 
may be wanting in his country-house, which his 
friend might have enjoyed better in town. 

There was one among the number we passed which 
particularly attracted our attention. Trees clustered 
in groups around it, but were so arranged as not to 
conceal the pillared front. It was said to be the 
property of the ^'business lawyer' of a Wall Street 
banking house. The constituents of the banker 
progressed into the clients of the lawyer ; the latter 
being the obedient humble servant of the former. 
Though these great bankers maintain unblemished 
reputations as rigidly upright men, punctual, me- 
thodical ; though their names are always found in- 
scribed on subscription lists, yet they are often 
obliged to insist upon the prosecution of petty de- 
linquencies; often compelled to borrow the strong 
arm of the law to crush those poor defaulters called 
needy people. 

Reader, as our eye took in these gorgeous piles, 
we involuntarily thought of the persecutions, prose- 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 121 

cutions, and incarcerations which constitute the kill- 
ing and wounding of financial battles. How was 
this princely wealth accumulated ? Was no widow's 
property periled? Was no orphan's substance 
wasted ? Was no money lent on usurious interest ? 
It is a fearful thing to raise a pile of worldly pos- 
sessions upon orphans' rights ! It is a horrible thing 
to turn from the world and bear not away the pass- 
port of a mourner's tear! Oh, can the graves of 
these money-getting business men ever be watered 
by the dews distilled from warm human hearts? 
Can they, in that last, fearful hour, buy with their 
wealth a single love, a softened hand to soothe with 
such a touch as love only knows, their throbbing 
temples ? 



XXXI. 

EVENING AT A NEW YORK CONVERSAZIONE. 

Washington, April, 1857. 

We were invited, while in New York, to pass an 

evening at the "'Conversazione ' of Mrs. , who, 

it is said, has taken out a patent for getting proofs 
of everything and everybody. 

Though enjoying the friendship of many of the 

most eminent men of the day, yet this lady seems 

really to regard the enlistment in her circle of those 

choice spirits, precisely in the same light as she would 

11 



122 



regard the acquisition of a costlj piece of furniture. 
We were forewarned that she was a person enthroned 
by authority of the elective monarchy, called the 
'^ world of letters^'' and we accordingly entered her 
drawing-rooms with an air of modest depreciation. 
The only persons present to witness our entrance 
were two very ancient specimens of history who sat 
engulfed in two of the roomiest '^fauteuils,'' and 
whom, too new to New York life to recognize as the 
oldest poet and most venerable historian, we con- 
ceived to be family connections, for nothing but 
prospects of inheritance, we fancied, could have re- 
commended those silvery heads to the favor of the 

beautiful and fashionable Mrs. , forgetting that 

persons of extraordinary celebrity cannot be boys. 

Long before the party was completed by the ar- 
rival of some twenty additional guests — the number 

to which Mrs. limited her soirees — we began to 

feel that we were there to be as severely scrutinized 
as is usually the case where a youthful pretender is 
paraded in presence of the conscript fathers. "We 
find we must be all ear," was our judicious prepara- 
tion for the ordeal. "Far safer to be voted heavy 
than flippant." And by studiously concealing the 
few observations we hazarded, with a note of interro- 
gation, and listening with an air of respectful edifi- 
cation to milk-and-water commonplaces that would 
scarcely pass current in the dullest periodical going, 
we contrived in the course of an hour to vanquish 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 123 

the mistrust of the critical synod. Those who came 
prepared to talk down the "Southern stranger," re- 
lented. The moment they saw us disposed to adopt 
their opinions, we were allowed to have one of our 
own. The first we were induced to form under these 
extenuating circumstances was, that the charm of 

Mrs. 's soiree was somewhat overrated. For 

though the wit of the aged poet and venerable poli- 
tician were as racy in their way as wine of comet 
growth, we could not help feeling that both were the 
high priests of an exploded creed. 

As the evening advanced, we gave ourselves up to 
the study of the large collection of celebrities before 
us. Among the guests were learned pundits, who, 
like Cuvier, can describe and reconstruct even the 
minutest articulation of the heart; and "conversa- 
tion men," who put down their puns and witticisms 
for "soir^ie" consumption, as East India purveyors 
preserve fowls and sirloins of beef in the Strand, to 
be eaten fresh at Hong-Kong ; and lounging artists, 
prepared to take off a photographic facsimile of the 
company, to be circulated in Leslie s Illustrated Pa- 
fer. There was also a meteoric city editor, who 
had Greek and Roman history by heart, and a 
tendency to verse-making at the nib of his pen. 
There were lady-rhyming young men ; and a curiosity- 
monger, who seized upon several of the company to 
exhibit some of his best autographs — one from the 
great Linnaeus, inclosing a rare specimen of the Ice- 



124 LIFE IN WASHINGTON, AND 

landic flea, and another from the renowned Hum- 
boldt, of which the ink was so pale that you could 
not decipher a syllable, except by chemical process. 

There was a prim little woman, who seemed to 
command great deference, and, unaccustomed to find 
so much authority conceded to the weaker vessel, we 
decided that some very great personage was before 
us. The deference with which every lady made way 
for her approach, led us to mentally set her down as 
a Mrs. Stowe or Miss Dix. 

Before the evening closed, we learned that this im- 
portant individual's husband had been a painstaking 
savant who, by the discovery of some very small 
planet, had made his way into a professor's chair. 
By means of these filaments, which pretenders to 
scientific distinction manage to put forth in foreign 
countries, the discoverer of what no one cared about, 
now it was discovered, had contrived to affix to his 
name the initials of certain continental orders almost 
as unknown to fame as the planet or gas he had 
dragged forth from obscurity. Still, however, his 
ambitious relict seemed to sun herself in his glory, 
and on the strength of a monument where her hus- 
band's honors were enumerated, she invariably quali- 
fied herself as the widow of the "late celebrated." 

Had Sir Isaac Newton left a widow, she could not 
be more primly self-conscious; and as the world is 
easily imposed upon by gravity of mien, the learned 
men-artists, a set with whom herself or the "late 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 125 

celebrated" had scraped acquaintance, really fancied 
the defunct planet-seeker a great philosopher, and 
his widow a component part of the world of science. 
For ourselves, we found the study of the Spring 
fashions on the person of our elegant hostess, a 
pleasanter pastime than hazarding an attack of 
ophthalmia, by fixing our eyes on the glaring cos- 
tume of the widow of the "late celebrated," which 
was so gorgeous, that, like Pean d'Ani in her sun- 
beam gown, she all but blinded us. 

On being introduced, she relaxed somewhat from 
her almost Spanish dignity of reserve ; but on learn- 
ing that we were from the South, she reassumed her 
imperial dignity. We assumed our sweetest smiles 
to thaw the ice of her dignity, and draw her into 
conversation. But we might as well have ventured 
to quote Turkish verses with a Sultan. 

There was also the portly relict of a " celebrated 
divine;" a volume of occasional sermons bearing his 
name being asked for once in five years or so at the 
book-stores. This lady's volubility presented an 
amusing contrast to the frigid manners of the widow 
of the "late celebrated." 

"Tell us," she said, in the most mysterious man- 
ner, a moment after our introduction, ''which is the 
great man. Everybody, I find, is in the secret, 
though he goes about in plain clothes, and would not 

dine with Bishop , lest he should be suspected. 

11* 



126 



This is the first party he has been to ; Mrs. be- 
spoke him before he arrived." 

We gathered from these fragmentary sentences, 
that this wonder-monger had been made the subject 
of a hoax. Some one as flighty as herself had per- 
suaded her that the lion of Mrs. 's soiree was 

a spy of the Sultan's, who had been dispatched to 
America on a secret mission ; and scarcely a gentle- 
man present whose face happened to be strange to 
her, and of sufficiently mahogany complexion to 
avouch an oriental origin, but was exposed to the 
annoyance of her scrutiny. At length, having fixed 
upon a male member of our party, sufficiently dun of 
visage to warrant the supposition, she hurried to us 
to communicate the discovery she had made, and we 
were not a little amused to hear the embellishments 
which the second edition of the story received. 

"What an interesting creature he is!" she said, 
pointing to our unconscious friend; "the Pope had 
such confidence in him that he was dispatched by his 
order to Constantinople as a missionary, where, in- 
stead of converting others, he became converted in 
his turn ; but, from his origin, he was so much an 
object of suspicion among the Turks, that his only 
chance of securing his neck was by becoming the spy 
of the seraglio. Turkey possesses a diplomatique 
accredits^ and he has been secretly dispatched to 
America." 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 127 

We could scarcely fefrain from complimenting the 
lady on her genius for amplification. 

Such, dear reader, was our experience of a New 
York soiree. The really eminent persons present 
commanded our respect, though we wondered a little 
what could have brought them to converse together, 
when they might have confabulated so much more 
pleasantly at home. 



XXXII. 

OUR BIRTH-PLACE— WALK ON THE BRANDYWINE. 

Washington, Apeil, 1857. 

We were determined, on our way home, to rest 
for one day, at least, at the place "where we were 
born," and which we had only left for our present 
home some four years since. 

When we stopped, midway between Baltimore and 
Philadelphia, and heard the conductor's cry, it quite 
made us start, it was such a familiar sound. A few 
moments more, and we were jolting along the quiet, 
sleepy streets, once so familiar to our feet. As we 
passed on, the sound of the old " Town-Hall clock" 
fell upon our ear. It must be — yes, it was — the very 
old clock we knew ; so wondrously old, and its spire 
so wondrously high, tapering right into the sky, and 
visible for miles. 



128 



We visited that dear and lovelj haunt of our 
girlish days, "the Brandjwine." We wished to see 
if the little sacred spots we had cherished in memory 
were the same. 

Four years do not pass without leaving some 
traces ; for, however noiseless the tread of the Gray- 
beard, his footsteps are always discernible. He had, 
however, trodden very lightly over the little village 
which bears the name of this far-famed stream. 
Down on the water's edge the same old moss-grown 
flour-mills; and, on '•'the walk,'" the same brick 
mansions of the proprietors, with their green blinds, 
and grounds laid out in fantastic curves, half-moons, 
and triangles ; the same clang of the cooper's ham- 
mer ; and now, as ever, a bright fire in the temple of 
Vulcan; the ''^Bishop's Souse,'' on the ''Race,'' 
was rather more luxuriantly covered with dark, rich 
foliage, but otherwise it looked the same ; the rose- 
bushes climb to the back eaves as they did in former 
times ; the spring-house had not moved an inch from 
its old place over the Race ; the old maple, over- 
hanging the water, was the identical one to which 
we owed so many tumbles when climbing up its 
jagged branches to look for the nest of Madame Red- 
breast. 

We turned up the self-same path that our childish 
feet had so often trod ; the placid stream on one side, 
and berry-bushes, with their delicate blossoms, on 
the other. We went on, amid a wilderness of sweet- 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 129 

ness, under the same thick-shaded maples and grace- 
ful elms, till we reached the " dam' that used to be 
the grand boundary of our early walks. High hills, 
skirted by woods, rose on the left, and, on the right, 
terminated in a deep gorge, through which little 
brooks tinkled as though myriads of fairy-revelers 
tripped it there to the music of their own silken 
bells. 

There was the same old log, serving for a rustic 
bridge, where we had angled for minnows many a 
day. Along the borders of the stream the same 
clumps of willows, shagged with green away down 
to the earth, and at their roots troops of flowers, 
bending their blue and crimson cups to the water, 
while, in the light, breaking through their branches, 
swarmed clans of bright-hued insects, dipping their 
gay wings in the liquid gold of morning. Our heart 
yearned toward the familiar scene, so we sat down 
on a seat soft as the richest velvet carpet, and bent 
our head. 

We had laughed and shouted above this water in 
our childish days ; we had played beside it when the 
summers were young eternities of brightness. Every 
pebble had a familiar look to us ; every ripple and 
every feathered thing spoke a language that we 
could perfectly understand. No more ; ah, never 
more, to us can those happy hours return ! 

We crossed the Water-fall on the same stepping- 
stones, and hurried over the springy ground beyond ; 



130 



then we walked slowly up the narrow path, and 
paused beneath the deep space of a broad-leaved 
bass-wood ; there was the same dear old woods, and 
the same dingle of tangled vines we had left four 
years ago. 

Dear was the boyish hand that tied those wild- 
vines together ; dear was that kindly hand, and none 
the less dear is it now though it may never again rest 
upon the head it has toyed with hours and hours to- 
gether ! His head has a sweet pillow among flowers, 
and streams, and beautiful singing-birds, and bud- 
ding vines, which fold their arms about him like a 
living sleeper. Oh, those rare, bright days ! Again 
we seemed to clap our hands, and laugh and shout, 
until the old woods rang with ten thousand answering 
echos ; again we linked the white-petaled blossoms 
together, and decked our foreheads like would-be 
duchesses; again we take the "pet seat," and tell 
long stories from fairy-books to the little nestlers 
around us, sending many a dewlike messenger from 
rosy cheeks to the tip of a clover-leaf! 

Alas ! those days are passed forever and forever ! 
But we bless God for the rich memories clinging to 
every tree and hillock ! 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 131 

XXXIII. 

VISIT TO FATHER'S GRATE— EARLY RECOLLECTIONS. 

■Washington, April, 1857. 

We visited, on the "Brandy wine," all the old 
spots of interest, not forgetting the old " Farm- 
House," where parties from town generally stopped 
for a glass of water from the finest well in all the 
country round. As it appeared in sight, we thought 
but little change had been there. The garden and 
out-houses looked trim and nice ; the well that had 
labored so faithfully in the cause of temperance for 
many a year looked just the same ; close within the 
curb rested the gray old bucket, with its mossy brim, 
to fill which with the clear, sparkling fluid, was such 
a merry feat. 

As we had always been kindly received here, we 
paused at the door, and tapped lightly at first, then 
more heavily; but no answer came. Raising the 
latch, we stepped over the threshold, and found our- 
self in the well-remembered apartment. There was 
very little change there. The eight-day clock was 
ticking as of old ; the same cross-beams overhead, 
set ofi" with festoons of dried herbs, and the same 
swing-shelf, suspended by bits of leather attached to 
the ends, on which were the same rusty, worn-out 
books. Venerable Ladies' Magazines, full of miracles 
and apparitions, ranged against the wall side by side 



132 LIFE IN WASHINaTON, AND 

with Pilgrim's Progress and Miss Leslie's Cook-Book. 
The smell of thyme and peppermint pervaded the 
room, scenting the atmosphere like Solomon's din- 
ner of herbs. On the walls hung the same curious 
specimens of exploded art : portraits of Washing- 
ton and Jackson, and a representation of the death 
of the latter, about as graceful and life-like as the 
plaster-busts of Clay and Webster hawked about 
by Italians. Under a wooden chair was the same 
old house-dog, resting his nose on his two forepaws 
and looking very knowingly about him. 

But we missed the blind bull-finch's cage, which 
always used to hang in the window with a canopy of 
the weeds that birds delight in ; and in the place of 
the good matron's rocking-chair, stood a cradle, with 
a child nearly a year old, who, on hearing us enter, 
raised its little night-capped head from the pillow, 
and crowed with infinite delight at the sight of a 
stranger. There did not seem to be another creature 
in the house ; and we were on the point of proceed- 
ing to the garden, when a woman, with her hair 
blown over her face and a basket on her arm, ap- 
peared. 

She insisted on blowing the horn to call her hus- 
band from the field; and presently a strange man, 
with an old, torn straw hat on his head and a hoe 
on his shoulder, extended his large bony hand and 
welcomed ^'the stranger" with the uncalculating hos- 
pitality of an Arab. 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 133 

Gradually there dawned in that face a half familiar 
likeness, and very soon we recognized it as the tall, ' 
lanky boy, with an awkward stoop, who always 
handed us the ''gourd'' to drink from. But where 
was his mother, with her gray-yarn knitting and 
muslin cap — she, who always wore a pair of silver- 
mounted spectacles over her dovelike eyes, and 
sometimes knitted up her yarn to 'Hry a race' with 
a certain little visitor ? 

Ah ! change has been here ! She sleeps in the 
churchyard over the stream yonder ; and this stout- 
built, honest-faced man is the lanky boy who used 
to play checkers with kernels of red and yellow 
corn. He drew the back of his horny hand two or 
three times across his eyes, as he bluntly gave us 
these particulars, while his wife busied herself very 
earnestly with the baby, having the kindness of heart 
to forbear noticing his emotion. 

On our way home we stole into the quiet old 
graveyard, which, as a child, we had so often visited, 
then studded here and there with solitary mounds, 
but now thickly populated with the dead. The head- 
stones, once white, new, and beautiful, now wear a 
grayish hue, the dust lying thick upon some of 
them. 

There, in that quiet churchyard, dear reader, y^e 
first heard the burial-service, then new to us ; alas ! 
how familiar now ! 

We can recall that warm, sunny, October day. A 
12 



134 LIFE IN WASHINGTON, AND 

cold, still figure lay in our home ; weights were upon 
the closed eyes to keep down the lids ; and the rigid 
hands lay as they had been placed on the bosom. 
Tears had wetted the pillow ; warm lips had strove 
with kisses to melt the gathering ice of death, and 
a voice had gone up to Heaven pleadingly. But all 
in vain ! 

We could not comprehend why, on this day, we 
were dressed in a black slip and black sleeve-knots ; 
and, as our childish feet wound through the open 
gate into the graveyard, we sometimes stooped from 
the guiding hand to pick up the scarlet and yellow 
leaves, which made this place of graves strangely 



The coffin was set down beside an open grave; 
the burial-service was read, and then they laid the 
coffin upon ropes and gently lowered it ; then a 
shovelful of loose soil was thrown upon the coffin. 
We recall, even now, the tightened clasp of a cold 
hand that drew us up to the grave's brink as those 
cold clods fell upon the loved bosom. 

They filled up the grave and placed green sods 
upon the mound they raised ; and, when all was done, 
we went away; and the next day we were chasing 
the runaway bees, or playing with toys in our baby- 
house, or wondering why a pale, sad face was all the 
time weeping. 

October went by ; the brooks grew chillier ; and 
then the bare trees were wreathed in white ; and that 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 135 

mound of earth, lost beneath the deep snow of win- 
ter, was forgotten by all but the stricken family. 
One mourner kept a path well trodden ; and though 
we could not then comprehend why her face bent 
tearfully over that grave, we learned in after years 
(ah, how bitterly !) what it meant. We have com- 
prehended, since then, what it is to have a coffin and 
a heap of earth between one's self and the author of 
one's being. 

Many an hour, in blissful childhood, we passed in 
that quiet graveyard, with only one companion. 
Many a lesson was taught us beside that green 
mound, of One who watched over the "widow and the 
fatherless" in their helplessness, counted all their 
tears, and lightened all their burdens. 

Widowed and fatherless ! What a world of mean- 
ing is expressed in these words ! Eeader, not till 
you stand in some trial of life, and feel the want of 
your accustomed counselor and friend, — not until 
then can you thoroughly comprehend the world of 
bereavement contained in that short phrase, ''wi- 
dowed and fatherless!'' 



136 



XXXIV. 

REFLECTIONS ON NEW YORK— CONTRAST WITH WASHINGTON. 

Washington, April, 1857. 

Our Southern home has gained astonishingly, in 
our estimation, by a peep at New York. How 
weary, stale, flat, and uprofitable ; and how beauti- 
ful, how refreshing, as we were borne homeward by 
the wings of steam through woods and valleys that 
seemed to revive us as by a bath of verdure, after 
the stony desert of the great metropolis ! 

During our brief visit there we were struck with 
the money -loving, money -grasping spirit which 
seemed to pervade all classes of the community. 
It appears to be the end and aim of life to become 
rich! rich! Money seems " the one thing needful," 
an iron safe "the ark of the covenant," and the mul- 
tiplication table ''the table of the law." "We have, 
we think, a proper estimate of the worth of money; 
but we turn from the hard nature that would make it 
a solitary object of worship ; that would rest merely 
upon what he has for a ground of supremacy. We 
would as soon expect to pick a fragrant flower from 
under the scorching lava effused by a volcano, as dis- 
cover a tender feeling in such a heart. 

This worship of the molten calf is apparent 
everywhere. The children, as soon as they are out 
of long-clothes, fancy themselves on the road to be- 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 137 

come Rothschilds ; and, we verily believe, that were 
you to drop a New York speculator out of a cara- 
van in the desert, his first notion would be to esta- 
blish a water company at the nearest well. New 
York is also emphatically a city of diversities — the 
diversities of extreme poverty and extreme wealth. 

The poor of New York 1 What a writer he would 
be who would burst upon the wondering world with 
their history ! What a picture to weep tears over ! 

New York is also a city where a great cause 
produces a small effect. During our stay a fear- 
ful fire occurred in the vicinity of our stopping- 
place. The terrible element raged wildly for hours, 
sweeping onward in its wild might, shooting afar its 
glowing columns, wrapping its folds around stately 
buildings, crackling and sparkling, or leaping up- 
ward in wild triumph as the noise of the falling 
mass proclaimed how impotent had been every effort 
to stay the violence of the mad destructive torrent; 
and yet, though a whole street was burned down, 
there were numbers in our hotel who continued 
quietly snoozing in their beds, or mentally de- 
nounced ^Hhose noisy firemen'' between naps; and, 
before the following night, the whole affair seemed 
to pass from the minds of all but the sufferers. A 
dozen funerals go by the windows in one day, and no- 
body seems sobered by it. 

With regard to the gentler sex, both old and 
young seem occupied in striving, bustling, and elbow- 
12* 



138 LIFE IN WASHINGTON, AND 

ing each other, in order to obtain front seats in the 
theatre of fashion. Their life seems really a battle 
of chairs and mirrors, plate and equipage. People 
may talk of the Wars of the two Roses, but we 
doubt whether they occasioned half the care or out- 
lay produced by the grand struggle between the fair 
rival battalions of Fifth Avenue. For ourselves, we 
would rather be a "country rector" in Washington 
than the "sublime sultan" in New York, Pleasant 
was it, after the dust and drought of Broadway and 
the Arabia Petrea of a New York hotel, to inhale 
the fragrance of the sweet-brier and honeysuckle of 
the Capitol grounds, listen to its birds, and set foot 
on its elastic turf once more. 



XXXV. 

WASHINGTON IN MAY— MUSIC IN THE PRESIDENT'S GROUNDS. 

Washington, Mat, 1857. 

It is now May! balm-breathing, hope-inspiring 
May! warm, beaming, joyous, budding, buoyant 
May! In our city this genial month makes itself 
both felt and heard. The public grounds, yet untar- 
nished with that unique compound which defines itself 
as Washington dust, are quivering with the light ver- 
dure of their delicate flowers, and bright with the 
tufted blossoms of their early shrubs. The ever- 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 139 

greens Lave lost their gloomy prominence, sur- 
rounded as they are by a "wilderness of roses, and 
the tender green of the tulip-trees, and masses of 
woodbine and clematis, around which the bees are 
murmuring their admiring joy. The birds are heard 
anew amid the lonely glades ; and the scent of flow- 
ers overpower the motley odors of the public streets. 
The long boughs of the lilac-bushes rustle in the wind 
with all their young, soft leaves ; and low on the dark 
soil at their feet is a faint lustre of primroses. In 
the public gardens, with the Babel muffling its voice 
faintly in the distance, you can hear, if you listen, that 
sacred rustle of growth and renewing which belongs 
to the sweet, sweet spring. In the soft twilight you 
can see the earth opening her bosom with a passive, 
grateful sweetness, to the inspiring touch of heaven. 
The brown soil is moist with showers, and the young 
leaves glisten faintly with globules of dew. 

It is a May afternoon, soft and calm. The high- 
bred horses of many a glittering equipage are paw- 
ing the grounds with impatience before the stately 
dwellings of the "West End." It is one of those 
balmy, spring afternoons, when sorrow appears to 
have forsaken her habitation upon the earth. 

Join us, dear reader, in a saunter to the White 
House grounds, whore the Marine Band is playing, 
and all the Washington world are looking on. There 
you may admire, in a mass, the carriages and horses 
which have singly startled you by their beauty. We 



140 LIFE IN WASHINGTON, AND 

must walk, thougli we assure you the exercise of 
riding would be much more agreeable to our health 
and inclination. We must walk for the same reason 
which prevented the town of Etampes from firing its 
cannon in honor of the arrival of ''Henri Fourth:" 
Etampes had no cannon, and we have no car- 
riage. The grounds are already filled with children 
pursuing their balls and butterflies, and nursery 
maids pursuing their flirtations, while the cool waters 
of the fountain leap into the air from a marble basin 
in the centre. Take a seat upon one of the iron 
lounges, and you may enjoy the view around. 

You may gaze admiringly upon eglantines and 
roses grouped together in their richest mass of bloom ; 
upon clematis wreathing itself fold on fold, and festoon 
above festoon, in luxuriance above the terrace of the 
Executive mansion; upon the gay verandas and 
Genoese blinds, which bask in the quivering shadows 
of the dying sunshine ; upon the bright open car- 
riages with their May-colored freight, like moving 
beds of tulips ; and upon the tribes of fair-faced and 
richly-dressed little people sporting upon the grass. 
Nothing but opulence, nothing but luxury, nothing 
but health and hilarity within view. 

The fashionable world chat in their carriages, and 
the pedestrians discourse in various shades of talk 
on the grass and thoroughfares below, while the sun 
shines gayly on the heads of both. But between 
these two extremes there chatters an intermediary 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 141 

class, that portion of the crowd which the gay world 
attaches to its services, and dresses up in gaudy rai- 
ments. These last, always a strutting, saucy spe- 
cies, are on this day more than usually self-sufficient. 
It is highly amusing to see the looks of polite con- 
tempt with which the footman, in his full-dress 
livery, surveys the mechanic and artisan, who, in 
their turn, look upon the creature in his livery hat 
as a species of "Merry- Andrew." 

A considerable group of those parti-colored gentry 
are congregated together near the empty carriages 
which the fair occupants have vacated, discussing, 
with a freedom of speech which Congress might have 
envied, the Pharaohs under whose especial bondage 
they wear their several badges of slavery, their silver 
lace and gold. 

Come now to "Washington, dear reader! Come, 
and the broad wavy public grounds, spangled all over 
with green, shall be your thoroughfare, and the trees 
shall be a canopy to sit under. Crowded rooms and 
gas lights become gross and tawdry, when violets and 
woodbine are all around you. 



142 LIFE IN WASHINGTON, AND 



XXXVI. 

CLOSE OF THE SEASON. 

Washington, May, 1857. 

Washington during tlie session of Congress, as 
compared with Washington two months after the 
close of that body, is as the magnified flea in the 
plates of a treatise upon entomology, compared with 
the same insect in its natural condition. And yet 
our city is far more merry than is usually the case 
after the close of the "session," for it is galvanized 
by the unnatural vitality which is apt to vivify Wash- 
ington society in the onset of a new administration. 
Those all-enduring, all-hoping beings, — waiters after 
government loaves and fishes, — still fill our streets, 
and while golden visions of futurity are knotting up 
their brains into strange devices, we fear the purses 
of some few are hugging their last sixpence. The 
applicants for the foreign appointments have some 
time yet to wait for the verdict. The worst fit of 
indigestion after a lobster salad, all olives and an- 
chovies, is an agreeable sensation compared with 
their flutter of mind and body while awaiting the 
result. 

Alas, for the new President and his Cabinet ! If 
they have not grown an inch taller in the last two 
months, they are certainly a year older ! Little did 
they dream, when they first dove their heads to the 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 143 

bottom of government affairs, that they would come 
up with a care lodged in every wrinkle. It is whis- 
pered that the President declares, with a melancholy 
shake of the head, that "he has not time to say his 
prayers." We think this distinguished gentleman 
would be justified in adopting the necromantic for- 
mula of the enchantress Queen in the Arabian 
Nights. Let him take a little water in his hand, as 
Mrs. Hemans once advised in a similar dilemma, 
and throw into the face of each, saying as he does 
so, "Quit the human form which thou disgracest, 
and assume that of an ox;" we have no doubt some 
insufferable men would thus be got rid of, and some 
very good oxen joined to society. 

The fashionable season is over: unless the human 
race can be strengthened and magnified by the pro- 
gress of modern science, we know not how future 
generations are to resist the increasing stress upon 
the human energies here. Within the last few years 
the "West End" of our city has nearly doubled in 
extent ; yet people are expected to get through the 
same number of visits per day, extending from 
"Capitol Hill" to Georgetown and Bladensburg, as 
when the latter place was a rural retreat in the 
neighborhood of the metropolis, where gentlemen 
went to shoot each other in duels for pastime. 

The close of the season here affords to the contem- 
plative a fertile subject for meditation, and the amount 
of disappointed ambitions and frustrated pretensions 



144 LIFE IN WASHINGTON, AND 

whirled off from our city by every successive railway 
train would supply matter enough for a thousand 
homilies. For one that succeeds in his projects, 
ninety and nine are they who, at the close of the 
season, are taught to measure, by exorbitant bills, 
the wildness of their schemes, as well as the amount 
of their disappointment. 

The morning receptions by the niece of the Presi- 
dent have been unhappily suspended by the sudden 
death of Mr. B.'s nephew. We attended the first 
given by Miss Lane, and we think Mr. Buchanan 
most fortunate in having so interesting a relative to 
do the honors of the Executive mansion. Miss L. 
is a blonde, with violet eyes, soft and beautiful as a 
dream. Her manners are self-possessed enough to. 
command admiration, even if her position were less 
distinguished. 



XXXVII. 

DEATH OF JUDGE BUTLER. 



Washington, May, 1857. 

Anothee brilliant star in our political hemisphere 
has set ; another light has gone out. 

For eleven years Judge Butler has occupied a 
prominent position in the public eye ; faithfully per- 
forming arduous duties ; ably executing high and 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 145 

weighty trusts. All who have been most familiar 
with his efforts in the Senate-chamber will agree 
that what he left most impressed upon his hearers, 
was the interest with which his own character and 
temperament invested his subject. All who have 
heard him can recall the extraordinary picturesque- 
ness and vigor of his style. There was a glow, a 
rich, quick, and expansive feeling transfused through 
his speaking, like the outpourings of an improvisa- 
trice ; in his whole style of thought and utterance, 
something vivid, heroical, and generous. The quali- 
ties of his heart softened and checked the impulses 
of a fiery temper and vehement will. That he should 
have been without warm dislikings as well as warm 
attachments, would imply an impossibility. But, 
from everything petty or rancorous, he was absolutely 
free, and his opposition, if it was uncompromising, 
was always open and manly. To the good or great 
qualities of an opponent he always did justice. 

But we leave to abler pens the task of delineating 
the character of Judge Butler, as he appeared in his 
public capacity ; our more limited object is to em- 
body in a few words our sense of what he was as a 
man. 

No man ever descended to the grave more widely 
honored and respected by those who did not person- 
ally know him, or more tenderly beloved by those 
who did. The latest act of one whose whole life was 
kindness, was for the good of those who had no 
13 



146 LIFE IN WASHINGTON, AND 

claim upon him ; his kindly impulses leading him to 
exertion even under the pressure of disease. The 
ruling purpose of his life seemed to be to diffuse hap- 
piness to his fellow-creatures. To his surviving 
daughter the priceless legacy of such a character 
should be more precious than rubies. 

Among our public men he stood almost alone in 
his generous appreciation and notice of the artistic 
and literary talent of our city. Oh inexorable 
death ! Depressed and overlooked in this political 
atmosphere, to whom now shall they turn ? He 
stood alone, and has died leaving no fellows. 

There, perhaps, never was a man gifted with 
such a universality of sympathy with talent and 
intellectual superiority. But it is not a theme for 
discussion here. We leave it in that obscurity to 
which it was his own wish it should be consigned. 
It is registered above, and written on the memories 
of those who were the objects of his aid. 

The large heart is cold and still beneath a shroud; 
the earth is settling down upon his remains ; his voice 
is hushed forever. We shall no more encounter his 
manly figure on the avenues of our city. We shall 
no more recognize in the distance the well-known 
silvery hair, streaming disheveled around his counte- 
nance. In the social circle, which so delighted in 
the genial company of the "old man eloquent," his 
place shall know him no more forever. We feel of 
a truth that he has left a void which can never be 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 147 

filled up ; that in him Washington has lost a beloved 
presence from her midst. 

Should we not feel it is an honor to have received 
any demonstration of his confidence and kindness ? 



XXXVIII. 

ART ASSOCIATION— ITALIAN BANDIT. 

Washington, May, 1857. 

There has been an "Art Association" recently 
formed here by some of the most deserving and 
meritorious artists in our city. The object of this 
association is to establish a " National Gallery of 
the Fine Arts" in the metropolis of the' nation, to 
call the attention of government and the country to 
the neglects, the narrowness, and the caprices of na- 
tional patronage ; to ask protection for genius ; to 
excite our public men to constitute themselves the 
true patrons of the living genius of the land. If 
the genius of our native artists reflect credit upon 
us as a nation, which is acknowledged abroad, does 
not native talent deserve every encouragement from 
America ? 

Louis XIV., two hundred years ago, allotted 
80,000 francs a year to his forty members of the 
Academy of Art. Frederick II. gave appointments 
to a whole corps of literary men ; and, at this mo- 
ment, there is not a man of any literary distinction 



148 



in Paris who has not a share in the hberal patron- 
age of Louis Napoleon's government, either in office 
or public pension. 

The "Art Association" has already succeeded 
in establishing a fine gallery of paintings, many of 
them possessing great merit. It is thrown open to 
the public every day, and we purpose, from time to 
time, noticing the different productions of our artists. 

This collection contains one picture which fasci- 
nates us. It is a very sad picture ; and, as we recall it 
to our memory, the bare recollection brings back the 
same painful feelings we experienced when we looked 
at it. Several days have passed since our visit, — a 
visit which was only an hour in length, — and we may 
not give a very faithful description; however, dear 
reader, when you visit Washington, go and see it for 
yourself. 

The subject is the ^'Italian Bandit's Death.'' "^ 
The figures are life-size, and of great depth of color — 
A woman, with a face convulsed with anguish and 
despair, with every muscle strained, is endeavoring 
to drag her dying husband under the shelter of the 
woods from the range of his pursuers. The robber 
has been fatally wounded ; already the death-damps 
steal over his face, — a face seamed and lined with 
heavy marks ; his failing hands cover, with a clutch- 
ing expression, the wound, and we see the heavy 
sleep of death creep over the sinking form. 

* This fine painting is by "Rositon." 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 149 

How beautiful and holy the expression of the wo- 
man's face and figure ! with what earnestness and 
energy she seeks to bear her husband under the 
cover of the thicket ! and we tremble as we look at 
it, for the leaden weight of death is too much for 
her strength. She sends her straining gaze up to 
the blue sky with a yearning, imploring look like 
that of one who despairs of earthly aid. 

Both will be lost, we think, and the breath is held 
with anxious apprehension, but with this apprehen- 
sion comes a feeling of hope : there is a chance of 
escape for the wife at least, and this hope softens 
and relieves the terrible action represented in the 
picture. But what a spiritual beauty the woman's 
expression gives to the painting ! That wife's love 
for the dying man ! More than the hope of escape 
does it relieve the sad subject; it elevates it ; for, 
even if both are lost, there is the recollection of that 
evidence of one of the most beautiful feelings in 
nature, — devoted love, even to self-sacrifice, for the 
object. 

"Oh, while those pitying eyes 

Are bending thus above him, 
In vain the death- dews rise — 

Thou dost regret, and love him ! 
He seeks thy gaze in vain — 

Earth reels and fades before him ; 
He dies, but feels no pain, 

Thy sweet face shining o'er him!" 

13* 



150 LIFE IN WASHINGTON, AND 



XXXIX. 

THE INTELLIGENCER DOG. 

Washixgion, Juxe, 1857. 

We were walking down Seventli Street yesterday 

in a meditative mood, thinking of the , that is, 

wondering what in all the world we should find to 
say that our readers would care to hear, — a desperate 
mood for one to be in, — when our meditations were 
suddenly put to flight by the appearance of the 
noble dog, so well known here as the property of the 
venerable editors of the Intelligencer. He held in 
his mouth a basket containing papers on their way 
to the post-office. 

That noble animal's appearance was ^^ manna and 
quails" to us. His sage, decorous face, and stately 
air of sobriety, deserved notice in print. 

Nay, drop the uplifted eyebrow, dear reader ! We 
consider the general importance of the canine race 
considerably underrated. Historians have scarcely 
done justice to the great part they have played in 
the world from the days of Cerberus until now. 
There is comfort, however, in reflecting that it is 
chiefly by the inferior classes of society their conse- 
quence is impugned. 

Catharine the Great, an empress who used to give 
away, as New-Year's gifts, estates equaling in ex- 
tent an American county, hazarded but one attempt 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 151 

at poetry in her imperial life, which was an epitaph 
on her lap-dog, an effusion which few crowned heads 
have surpassed. 

Byron perpetuated, in the monument at Newstead, 
his attachment to a dog, whom he bewailed as his 
only friend ; and all the world knows that Newton 
did but one silly thing in his life, which was in favor 
of the identical little dog whose unlucky trespass of 
demolishing a year's work of calculation he so 
generously forgave. Even the great " Sir Walter" 
was seldom seen, either in life or on canvas, unac- 
companied by his dog. 

After such examples, our humble pen need not 
hesitate to employ itself upon one of a race which 
has been distinguished by those great men with 
similar favor. 

In describing the Intelligencer dog, conceive it, 
dear reader, a stately mastiff of the first magnitude, 
with noble features and wavy ears. If we might 
presume to give advice to Edwin Landseer, to whom 
the species is largely indebted, we would recommend 
him, when next he has to paint a royal dog, to 
study the courtly and dignified carriage of our Wash- 
ington favorite. 

This noble animal is said to be descended from a 
race from the land where Hampden bled in the field 
and Sidney on the scaffold. Pages might be spun 
out of his ancestors. But, as remote periods of his- 
tory have ceased to interest our superficial age, un- 



152 LIFE IN WASHINGTON, AND 

less got up by "Macaulaj," we leave the sacred dust 
of his forefathers to the Archeological Society, whose 
business it is to ral^e up all such dust. 

Since the dog in the famous picture, which has 
been worked in Berlin wool at every boarding-school, 
never was animal so popular. From the venerable 
senior editor in his invalid chair, to the little prin- 
ter's "devil" in the mechanical department, he is 
welcomed with joy, and allowed to express his per- 
sonal likings and dislikings as freely as a crowned 
head. All study his conveniences and caprices almost 
before their own ; and the noble animal is not un- 
worthy of these favors. He is a loving and affec- 
tionate dog, walking with measured step at his mas- 
ter's side, looking with expressive attached eyes into 
his face ; and when, as now, in feeble health, crouch- 
ing beside him with the air of a miniature lion guard- 
ing a king. 

If this faithful dog could write, why, he might 
achieve a pamphlet on "politics," out of the table- 
talk of his master's political friends. Think seri- 
ously, dear public, of his peculiar advantages as 
an unsuspected "confidant" of the first statesman 
of the day. The noble ''Old Line Whig' politi- 
cians converse together without restraint in his pre- 
sence ; and the lamented Clay was said to seek ad- 
vice of these Napoleons of the press within reach 
of this dog's long ears. 

It is said he is discerning enough to discriminate 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 153 

between a ^^WTiig" and a ^^Democrat,'' and that his 
eyes glare upon the latter, like Mr. Murdoch in 
Richard. It is also asserted that he gave an affirma- 
tive wag of the tail when the news of General Tay- 
lor's election was announced ; but stood stoutly on his 
four limbs, with a negative wag, when the sad reverse, 
and Mr. Buchanan's triumph was proclaimed. 



XL. 

SUMMER BOARDING. 



Washington, JtrNE, 1857. 

We passed a summer at a boarding place not a 
hundred miles from Washington, while in ill health, 
not long since. "^ quiet farm-liouse in the country^ 
with no other hoarders,'' had been advised by our 
physician. Accordingly, a single lady, from the 
North, residing in a cheerless farm-house, consented 
to receive us. This lady had a high opinion of her 
own dignity, and wished us distinctly to understand 
'^she did not take hoarders,'^ It was a special favor 
shown us. 

How well we remember our feelings as we ap- 
proached the " respectable"- looking establishment 
that was to be our home during the warm weather ! 
We say "respectable," and we imply by the terra 
dreary as well. How dull it was ! A dim brick 



154 LIFE IN WASHINGTON, AND 

house, with drowsy windows, the very sight of which 
induced a conviction that if you once entered and 
sat down, you would never have energy to rise again. 
One can judge of the inmates from the aspect of an 
abode ; and, in this case, the occupant was to the 
full as mournful as the edifice. 

Our future companion was a harsh, perpendicular 
woman. Her hair was so carefully brushed and po- 
matumed, that it seemed one glossy convex surface ; 
her neck-ribbon was crossed upon her bosom, the 
two ends of precisely the same length ; and her 
pocket-handkerchief, which she held between the 
thumb and forefinger of the left hand, was allowed 
to spread itself upon the three remaining fingers in 
a very becoming manner ; her peculiar character ex- 
tended to everything about her. 

And yet — would you believe it, dear reader ? — (I 
know you won't,) our hostess had a wooer who came 
every Saturday, in a black suit that gave him ex- 
actly the air of a master-undertaker, and proceeded 
to his grave courtship of her charms — in the savings 

'"^^oor man! His toilet on these occasions was 
evidently a subject of great anxiety with him. That 
dress-coat had, we doubt not, been set apart for 
years for high and solemn occasions. How well we 
remember that dull, square sitting-room, where we 
all three sat often, without a sound audible but the 
measured grate of the pendulum of an old clock, 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 155 

through whose dusty glass the hours seemed ashamed 
to show their faces ! On the mantel-piece was a 
glass case containing all that remained of a pet 
Guinea fowl, which, thanks to the genius of some 
Yankee naturalist, had been made to assume the ap- 
pearance of a nondescript ornithological specimen 
that would have sadly puzzled Audubon. The slate- 
colored paper; the sad-colored, wool-bare Scotch 
carpet ; the dingy baize that covered the tables ; the 
worn-out books ranged against the wall; and, above 
all, a perpetual odor of peppermint that pervaded 
the room in which our hostess was in the habit of 
drying the herbs from her garden. 

Never was there so dum a courtship ! The spinster 
would sit and sew ; the calculating, demure bachelor 
sit and hem. The flies buzzing in the window, espe- 
cially when in the morning preserving had been 
going on, formed the only enlivenment of the place. 
On replying to her chilling monosyllables, — which, 
like the old clock, struck only every quarter of an 
hour, — touching changes of weather, as demonstrated 
by ^'shooting-corns" and "twinges of rheumatics," 
he would vainly endeavor to ascertain the sentiments 
of his gaunt companion by a scrutinizing glance at 
her parchment visage. But, alas ! there was more 
expression in the green eyes of the tabby at her 
feet than in the ghastly spectacles which marked the 
movements of her own ! The very cat had sat on 



156 LIFE IN WASHINGTON, AND 

its woolen cushion, at the feet of its mistress, till it 
had not energy to move. 

One evening there had been a dead silence, of 
much longer duration than usual. The gentleman 
appeared engaged in examining two portraits of "Lu- 
ther" and "Melancthon," which were suspended in 
black frames from the slate-colored wall. For our- 
selves, we felt afraid that we would commit some- 
thing very absurd, dispel the sort of nightmare that 
was stifling us, by some violent gesture, perhaps by 
dealing a blow at the hapless "Guinea fowl," which 
stood placidly before us. 

We determined, in a feeling little short of despe- 
ration, to bring some life and light into the stagnant 
atmosphere of that unincidental apartment, and we 
ventured upon a remark so comical that the grave 
lover was obhged to laugh outright, in spite of him- 
self. Our voluble audacity had a still more re- 
markable effect upon our hostess. Never had we 
seen her so near the verge of an emotion. She did 
not venture on so strong a measure as to speak, but 
she opened her spectacle-case, shut it again, dis- 
placed her spool of cotton, half rose from her seat, 
and, after various little preparatory hems^ turned 
upon us a look — such a look! We are sure if 
Middleton, of our city, had only interest with her 
to procure the recipe for it, it might save him some 
hundreds a year in the management of his Ice- 
Houses. 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 157 

The sedate lover was her property, and our attack 
upon him seemed to her almost as felonious as a 
footpad's '^ stand and deliver T' 

We never heard that the little stream which ran 
by this "Farm-House" had a spray, yet certain it is 
that while we were an inmate here a moisture bedewed 
our eyes almost incessantly ; indeed, showers of tears 
were quotidian in that sepulchral dwelling. The 
slate-colored curtains in our chamber used actu- 
ally to vibrate with our sobs. When friends from 
"home" were expected, we bathed our eyes -^lih. Eau 
de Cologne from a bottle which looked like a wed- 
ding-present from Sir Charles Grandison to Harriet 
Byron, and, when they arrived, came down bright 
and smiling, so that they who were not in the secret 
of the " Cologne water" decided that we were the 
happiest of our sex. 

The heart of the gallant "Don John of Austria" 
did not beat more wildly on being apprised of his 
imperial parentage when invited to the presence of 
his royal brother, than ours when we heard the 
familiar accents of the messenger sent to bear us to 
our home. 

The summer passed with that " Connecticut spin- 
ster" and her "Vermont wooer" gave a coloring to 
our after-life, and an ineradicable distaste for every- 
thing and everybody from the North. 
14 



158 LIFE IN WASHINGTON, AND 



XLI. 

SUMMER HEAT AND DUST. 

"Washington, June, 1857. 

Summer is upon us — and such a summer ! Our 
city a vast furnace ; the aristocratic portion of the 
world flying in all directions ; the attaches to the 
foreign embassies on leave in the direction of the 
North Pole ; and it is even whispered that Middler\ 
ton has just entered into a contract with a Northern 
company for a thousand tons of ice, to rescue the , 
metropolis of the nation from a general confla- J 
gration. 

So sultry is the weather that, till sunset, few have 
courage to venture out of doors ; and even then, if 
one escapes the sun, the dust is inevitable. Among 
the plagues of Egypt, why was dust omitted ? Every 
sense is infected by it, — eyes, ears, nose, palate, all 
are in a state of torment: every charm of the 
city is dust-eaten. No one opens his eyes or mouth 
save on peril of ophthalmia, and of eating the bread 
of grittiness for the remainder of the day. Those who 
venture out look as tanned and yellow as the parched 
herbage of a review-ground in the dog-days. The 
air of the Avenue is tainted with the commingled 
vapors of restaurants and cigars not worth a far- 
thing. The fragrant acacia-trees no longer array 
the public gardens with their bridal veil of white. 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 159 

They, too, wear a dingy hue from the dust. The 
better half of the population is already off to the 
watering-places ; and the very sun, like an old plated- 
candlestick, begins to show copper in place of its 
customary brightness. 

Amid this dust and heat few can forbear to sigh 
after the country, with its silvery birches bathing 
their drooping branch-tips in the brooks. The 
parched dreariness of the city recalls to mind the 
grassy freshness of the "White Sulphur's" velvet 
lawn. Most of our citizens are booked for watering- 
places. Some talk of being iced every morning at 
"Guntier's," lest they should dissolve in the course 
of the day. Anything that seems to approximate 
us to an atmosphere free from dust and heat is a 
prospect which is positively refreshing. 

In conversation, everybody asks everybody where 
everybody else is going. The question engrosses all. 
Our own mind is made up. Novelty is not a passion 
with us. We believe it to be the spring of many vices, 
and the stimulant of many disasters. In a few weeks 
the city will be what is called empty ; nothing will be 
left but "P. P. C.'s" and ice-carts moving in the dusty 
streets. Thanks to the railways, which are rapidly 
making one huge gridiron of the whole civilized world, 
we hope to be, before many weeks, where there are no 
hot pavements flashing back the light into our faces, 
or, cramped-up streets, where the air is stifled into 
sickliness. We hope to be in the green woods, with 



160 



broad, wavy meadows for our thoroughfares, and 
little sparkling streams, leaping and dancing over 
rocks, for our lullaby. 

We confess to very homely tastes, and we do long 
to see once more old Mooly, with her horns and sen- 
sible face; the hens, with their domestic motherly 
ways; and the geese, with their pretty necks and 
tea-party voices. 

Dear reader, when you hear from us again it will 
be from . We did'nt say Avhere — did we ? 

^ 5fC 'J'* ^ 'T^ *?* '7^ 

If we ever indulged in the interjection extorted 
from Mrs. Butler by the sight of the Falls of Niagara, 
we might be taxed by our readers, like that lady, 
with ending our article like a German melodrama. 
But as we have no desire to imitate the lady re- 
ferred to, we will relate, as succinctly and distinctly 
as the state of our feelings will admit, that the noble 
Old Line Whig Dog, so lately appearing in print, 
the majestic king of the canine race here, has been 
feloniously murdered. Some Fra Diavolo, jealous 
of his popularity, has committed this wanton act. 
The consternation caused by this sad event, the re- 
spect conceded to the remains of the victim, over 
whom the earth has closed forever, the perplexity 
of the panic-struck police, need not be dwelt upon. 
Since the days of Blue Beard's wife never was that 
respectable fraternity so bewildered by a fatal dis- 
covery. 



LIFE HERE AND THERE 161 

XLII. 

JOURNEY TO THE WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS. 
Greenbrier, July, 1857. 

Do you wish to know, dear reader, how we got 
here ? Not, alas ! upon the enchanted carpet of the 
Arabian Tale, upon which its owner had only to seat 
himself and think of w;here he wished to be conveyed, 
and behold, the wish was realized before it had been 
uttered, and in a second he found himself transported 
to the farthermost parts of the earth ! 

Our Sittings were less easy, for we were passed, 
like parish vagrants, from boat to cars and from 
cars to stages. We rose at daybreak, and left 
Washington the abode of silence. No sight or sign 
of life to be seen in the closed stores ; nothing but a 
solitary house-maid peeping here and there from the 
windows, like the stork which our modern painters 
regularly put into the corner of their landscape to 
express the sublime of solitude. On the cars at 
Alexandria we found some three or four agricultural 
Peers of Virginia, who evidently invested their am- 
bition in the manuring of land and fattening of cattle. 
They had been to the city to examine patent ma- 
chines for doing in an uncommon way all that their 
farming forefathers used to do in a common, when 
barley was reaped with a sickle. One of the num- 
ber, a dear old man, was explaining to his neighbors, 
14* 



162 LIFE IN WASHINGTON, AND 

a loverlike-looking couple, the mode of cultivation 
to be bestowed upon some New Zealand spinach, of 
which a plant would cover three-quarters of an acre, 
glancing at a valuable stratum of blue clay he had 
discovered on his farm, and finally anchoring down 
upon the history of a patent plow. When he had 
proceeded as far in this episode as his purchase of 
the plow and its embarkation, one of his hearers 
uttered a profound sigh, while the lady bestowed a 
glance — as nearly resembling an angry look as she 
was capable of assuming — on the speaker, who was 
preventing a pleasant flirtation. 

Seated very near us was an old sea-captain, who, 
after a long talk about preserved limes and arrow- 
root biscuit, mentioned that he had been in qua- 
rantine off the Lazaretto, for on the passage in 
from Havana the purser had died, actually died, of 
yellow fever ! There was a general start at this in- 
telligence ; some of the passengers looking with satis- 
faction at the voluminous extent of plank which di- 
vided the old tar frOm themselves. At the first 
stopping-place several of the ladies w^ent straight to 
a drug-store, and drank, in the shop, half a phial of 
antipestiferous drops, and then caused their dresses 
to be fumigated with a liquid such as is used by the 
officers of health at the hospitals, bringing in the car 
with them a pungent odor of the vinegar. 

About midway of our route we made a momentary 
stoppage at a little village, where every window 



LIFE HERB AND THERE. 163 

seemed closed. The only house that showed signs 
of life was a red brick, whose carved wood-work 
formed a melancholy memento of the domestic archi- 
tecture of Sir Walter Raleigh's time. There was 
a cedar or two in the garden, looking as if it had 
strayed from Mount Qarmel, and a group of boys 
playing at hop-scotch in the summer dust, who set 
up a derisive shout as our passage effaced their boun- 
daries. We should not be surprised to hear, some fine 
morning, that the inhabitants were all dead of the 
dulls, and that the jury brought in a verdict of died 
for want of the common pastimes of life. If the Warm 
Springs — where every one on a tour of the mountains 
betakes himself to a night's rest — exhibited the still- 
ness of elegant valetudinarianism, this place was 
more than paralyzed by the stagnation of dullness. 

The house where we breakfasted, after leaving the 
Warm Springs, — such a breakfast, steaming cafe du 
lait, and transparent slices of ham! — presented a 
pleasing contrast to the meal we took a year ago on 
our way home /rom the Springs. How well we re- 
member that weather-beaten little man who took the 
head of the table and did the honors ! How well we 
can recall the dainty dishes of every imaginable and 
unimaginable kind, which were forced upon us by the 
despotic host! And the tough, hale, stringy beef- 
steak ; he inquired if it was to our liking with such 
an infectious relish and hearty good faith, pressing 
on us by turn more gravy, and more fat, and a ra- 



164 LIFE IN WASHINGTON, AND 

cier bit of the brown, that at last we almost believed 
in the beef ourself ! 

There were in the stages three or four Southern 
planters, in large, low-crowned, broad-rimmed straw 
hats, wearing their clothing in a careless, nonchalant, 
care-for-nothing sort of air. Though destitute of 
that fashionable, exterior which the tailor supplies, 
they had an air distingue, inimitable by the formal 
Northerners with all their Frenchifications. We 
were forcibly struck by the contrast, in manner and 
consideration for the comfort of the ladies, mani- 
fested by these representatives of different sections of 
our country. Why is this ? The blood of both, we 
presume, flows down to them from Magna Charta. 
Into whatever position of life a Southern gentleman 
may be thrown, the gentleman is apparent. Good 
breeding appears innate. In his linen traveling 
wrap, in a crowded stage, or in a controversial de- 
bate in the Capitol of the nation, the stamp of supe- 
riority is equally apparent. 

Our readers will think there was nothing very envi- 
able in our position during the latter portion of the 
route, when we tell them to imagine us seated between 
an old lady with a starched apron and a bundle tied 
in a cotton handkerchief, and a grave individual, who 
was peeling superannuated walnuts and peppering 
the road below with the shells. The moment we 
were in motion, the good woman put all our cogita- 
tions to flight by the loquacity of her confidences 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 1G5 

concerning a New York family, where she had been 
living as housekeeper, with all the events that had 
come to her knowledge there. Then followed notes, 
historical and biographical, of her family, from which 
we gathered that it had been pruned of its junior 
branches by climate and casualties, and that only 
two remained extant, one of whom was inconveni- 
ently poor and absurdly prolific. 

It was in vain we obtruded our head from the 
windQW, at the risk of vertebral dislocation ; the 
volubility at our side was enough to overcome the 
most bigoted worshiper of fine scenery. All we 
could do was to look pensively interrogative, and 
quietly await the suspension of a fluency which had 
extended beyond a four-mile stone. 

At last she closed with specifics for maladies pro- 
nounced mortal by the whole college of physicians. 

We glanced involuntarily at the silent, sullen Kill- 
joy on our left. He did not seem the least moved, 
but maintained an attitude of refrigeration that 
might have been borrowed from Michael Angelo's 
statue of Snow. 

We were now left to the quiet enjoyment of dewy 
meadows and musky hay-fields, and very soon the 
tranquil coolness of the "White Sulphur's" velvet 
lawn met our weary eyes. 



166 LIFE IN WASHINGTON, AND 



XLIII. 

CHANGE OF PROPRIETORS. 

G-REENBRIER, JULY, 1857, 

The White Sulphur ! What a vision these words 
bring up before the memory of those who know the 
beauty of this lovely place ! Rows of peaceful, 
picturesque cottages, snuggling close in the bosom 
of the green slope, their shaded galleries and the 
tops of their chimneys peeping from the green things 
around, like a monument to a Sylvan. 

''Virginia Row," with its exceedingly timid, mo- 
dest bearing, the roofs of the little nutshells making 
a steep plane from ridge-pole to eaves. The vines 
climbing and grouping together, and wreathing them- 
selves, fold on fold, in such luxuriance, that an Ame- 
rican Juliet may sit within their shelter unobserved 
and murmur melodious nothings in the ear of her 
Romeo. 

Although the Springs have changed proprietors 
since last summer, the appearance of things is not 
yet materially altered. In the dining-room, the 
same head waiter, who stands exalted in public esti- 
mation here, like Washington's statue on its pedestal 
of granite, meets our eye at the head of the immense 
tables, like a sentry on guard over the Crown jewels. 
We meet the same efficient manager of the " Cottage 
Department," into whose brain is compressed reams 
full of statistical calculation, which, when duly emit- 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 167 

ted, suffice to locate some ten hundred guests. The 
company is unusually large for the season; we do 
not suppose that the "White Sulphur" has at any 
time boasted so many at so early a time in July. 

We have pleasing, handsome, gentlemanly young 
planters, calculated to pass through life with credit 
to themselves, without splitting the trumpet of fame 
by the magnitude of their doings. We have widow- 
ers, who are rubbing off the rust of their grief, and 
seeking consolation in an attempt to knit anew the 
broken chain of domestic happiness. We have some 
few fossil specimens of the sterner sex, with so jaunty 
an air that, since the days of Beau Brummell, never 
were middle-aged bachelors so juvenile. 

We have some few stately old gentlemen, of a 
school now nearly extinct. To decipher their signa- 
tures in the register is not difficult, indited as they 
are in the large Italian hand, seldom seen except in 
old family Bibles and books of the last century. 
Their manners and characters are also, alas ! of the 
last century — simple, downright, and kindly. 

We have some few wild young men, who, when at 
college, used to make the watchmen spring their 
rattles for as many fires as, if real, would have made 
bankrupts of every insurance office in the country. 
These are garnished with such a shrubbery of black 
mustache, that they deserve the sobriquet of " le soi 
des chm'bonniers." We have a few spruce, well- 
brushed dandies, who, in the well-starched majesty 



168 LIFE IN WASHINGTON, AND 

of a better-cut coat, feel privileged to slight their 
plainer betters. Their charm of manner, like that 
of all persons whose agreeableness is assumed rather 
than instinctive, is easily worn with its seamy side 
inward and fairest gloss outward. 

And yet, dear readers, the feminine gender is in 
the ascendant, for we have several new beauties, and 
the stir they make resembles* a popular panic. All 
the gentlemen join in the general psean, and vie with 
each other in attentions. Everybody suggests some 
new occupation for them ; everybody projects some 
new diversion. We have also several here who are 
reported to be heiresses, and the gentlemen are lay- 
ing active siege to these fair El Dorados. To get 
rid of their tormentors, they have caused to be cir- 
culated that they possess only a tumble-down plan- 
tation, mortgaged over rafters and roof, on the bor- 
ders of a rice swamp. 

We have, we regret to add, some few pious wor- 
shipers at the altar of mammon ; human beings so 
gold-nurtured that poverty is to them the one evil of 
human life. 

We have sedate, conventionalized editions of the 
romantic couples of last year, who have since then 
anchored themselves upon the sunken rock of matri- 
mony. It is whispered that Gen. Walker is expected, 
but that he is so oppressed with humility that he does 
not wish it known. This distinguished gentleman 
need not be afraid of any embarrassing distinction 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 169 

here, for he will be outroared by a whole herd of 
lions. 

We have some few of the batches of Governors 
and Judges recently sent forth from the Government 
oven. 

The ladies are already plotting "a ball" against 
the peace of the place. The railroad is so far com- 
pleted as to render the White Sulphur only one 
day's journey from Washington City, and baggage 
is checked from Washington through to the Springs. 
Visitors no longer incur any risk about this matter. 



XLIV. 

DRESS BALL AT WHITE SULPHUR. 

GREENBRrER, JCLT, 1857. 

Most people have seen a dress hall in our cities, 
and those who have seen one have seen a thousand ; 
the same blaze of light, the same band of music, the 
same supper-table, and the same tumult at the door. 
But a "ball" at the "White Sulphur" is a very dif- 
ferent affair. There is here no jSerce contention 
with wrangling mobs of coachmen ; no confused pha- 
lanx of carriages ; no panting footman ; no courtesy- 
ing and overheated hostess compelled to a standing 
position ; no labored decorations of temporary ver- 
15 



170 



dure ; no tedious ascent of crowded stairs ; and no 
peevish belles wrangling in the cloak-room. 

Our first dress ball presented none of these ob- 
jectionable features. The room was crowded, but 
after some difficulty we succeeded in securing a 
standing position. 

In the train of lovely women before us, our roving 
eye fell upon a young, simply- dressed girl, with a 
cluster of wild-flowers in her hair, just such flowers 
as she might have picked up in passing through the 
woods. The tip of her head was the most we could 
see of her, for she was so surrounded wdth beaux 
that it was impossible to approach the footsteps of 
her throne. One was tormenting her with his indis- 
criminate flatteries ; another tendering to her ac- 
ceptance some of those cut-and-dried sentences which 
he had bestowed upon the successive belles of the 
ball-room for the last fifteen years. Poor girl! her 
countenance seemed to appeal to the aid of her lady 
friends as to that of good Samaritans, for she had 
'^fallen among thieves." 

It is hardly necessary to tell our readers that this 
fair girl is an heiress. The gentlemen here, with all 
their pretended insouciance, know pretty well from 
what quarter the trade-wind blows, and they are not 
often found elbowing each other to obtain the hand 
of portionless girls, even if as fair as Hebes. A few, 
no doubt, are attracted by the personal charms of this 
very lovely person, but by far the greater number 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 171 

by les beaux de sa cassette. Few are like the 
Italian prince, who very frankly told an English 
commoner, when he made proposals for his daugh- 
ter, that his chief inducement to marry an heiress, 
and overlook her being a heretic, was that he might 
repair and refurnish his palace at Genoa. 

It is whispered here that this fair girl has been 
wooed by half the resident planters of her own State 
and wandering cavaliers of other States, and that 
she has driven some into the Mississippi and some 
into Lake Pontchartrain, by her obduracy. Among 
all the aspirants, the one who succeeds should pro- 
claim his good fortune by sound of trumpet. 

Miss was there, in a double dress of the 

lightest tulle, looking as spiritual and ethereal as if 
she were fed on rose-leaves, and drank hyacinthine 
fluid from cups the size of an acorn and consistency 
of a canary's egg-shell. It is said that a young 
Georgia planter has won the heart of this fair girl, 
but we think the gentleman who was her shadow all 
the evening may prove the mouse to nibble a hole in 
the net which holds her in captivity. 

The lion of the male crowd was Mr. , who is 

established among the celebrities here — written in 
Italics — recognized by the public as a traveled man, 
who has been to the four quarters of the globe, and 
brought home as much useful knowledge as makes 
him one of the pleasantest companions in the world. 
Open-mouthed audiences surround him as they might 



172 LIFE IN WASHINGTON, AND 

have done an oriental tale-teller. He has seen not 
only the ^'Louvre," but the domes of Mecca, and sat 
face to face with mummies of Cheops, by the light of 
Davy's safety-lamps, in the Great Pyramid. He 
has drank Seltzer water fresh from the rock ; visited 
the cabinet of the Japanese palace at Dresden, and 
the celebrated restaurants at Toulouse, where the 
limbs of geese are candied in sugar. 

Among the seated spectators was a group of very 
young girls, pupils of the widely celebrated Patapsco 
Institute, who, with their accomplished instructor, 
(Mr. Archer, of Maryland,) are sojourning here for 
a few weeks. The deportment and character of this 
gentleman (a graduate of West Point) present to our 
eye the perfection of a finished preceptor for young 
ladies, uniting the perfect gentleman with scholastic 
abilities of a rare order. His "Institute" fully sus- 
tains the high reputation of his predecessor, Mrs. 
Phelps, and embraces representatives from every 
Southern State. As a Southern institution it has, 
we think, peculiar claims upon the South. 

Among the crowd was a gentleman, dark, hand- 
some, and mysterious, a total stranger to every one ; 
whether a Duke incognito or Louis Napoleon's head 
cook, remains a problem. This individual excites a 
great curiosity here. The ladies lend a vigilant ear, 
to ascertain whether any sound resembling "your 
Grace" or "your Lordship" escapes his servant's 
lips in addressing the distinguished-looking incog.; 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 173 

but nothing transpires, and we are still at liberty to 
believe liiin a royal highness if we choose. His her- 
culean figure, menacing brow, and bronze skin, cast 
in metal, and fixed in a gallery, would make an in- 
comparable gladiatorial statue. 



XLV. 

SCENE IN THE TARLOR AFTER BREAKFAST— MR. COLWELL. 

Greexbrier, Jult, 1857. 

The aspect of this watering-place, after dinner, 
is anything but lively. The whole place seems to 
become torpid. After dinner conversation is drowsy 
enough to drive even the House of Representatives to 
repose. Attempts at wit seem solemn as the minute- 
guns at a military funeral. The voices of those who 
are so brilliant in the morning, now have a drowsy, 
muffled sound, with colons and semicolons in every 
sentence. Dinner seems a sort of isthmus, uniting 
the freshness and brilliancy of the morning with the 
gayety of the evening — a rusty grappling-iron be- 
tween the two. 

Life here is never more vividly seen than in the 
parlors, to which the visitors in crowds adjourn im- 
mediately after breakfast. We paid our first visit 
to these rooms this morning, where we found a crowd 
15* 



174 



assembled, and the hum of general conversation es- 
tablished in an extensive circle. 

From our station behind the expansive skirts of a 
lady, we will, dear reader, give you a peep at the 
different groups. 

Two stately figures were stationed in prominent 
dignity near the window, who seemed as mutually 
engrossed as the partners of a banking house on their 
annual settling day. 

In the most obscure chair of the most occult cor- 
ner of the room, a gentleman was beguiling the time 
and aiding his digestion with a copy of '''' RusselV s 
3Iagazine;'' and a very potent ^^chasse-cafe" it is, 
that collection of pungent condiments. For if its 
tesselated pages, variegated with polished fragments 
of poetry, essays, sonnets, criticisms, and reviews, 
fail to produce a brilliant mosaic, where, in the name 
of printer's ink, is entertainment to be found ? 

On the portico, near the parlor window, Mr. , 

calm, gentlemanly, and grave of habit as a court- 
physician, had sheltered himself behind the main 
sheet of the '^Herald.'' We could not help wonder- 
ing, however, by what catoptrical process he could 
manage to decipher its mysteries in a reversed posi- 
tion. He was probably ruminating behind the in- 
verted newspaper on the disasters of his destiny. 
This gentleman has three rivals in his approach to 

Miss (excuse the initials) to contend with, and he 

was probably reflecting whether he should attack the 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 175 

triumvirate singly, by a demand for explanation, or 
by wager of battle ; being aware that to subdue three 
enemies at once, even with the best of Colt's pistols, 
is a feat only compassable by some dueling wonder. 

In another direction a young mother was recom- 
mending genuine Welsh flannel to make woolen cui- 
rasses for baby-wear in the mountains, showing how 
she could wad it into breastplates with her own hand. 

Near by a group of gentlemen were discussing the 
recent sale of the "White Sulphur," change of ma- 
nagement, etc. Apropos of the late principal, (Mr. 
Wm. Colwell,) seldom has any one retiring from a 
responsible position carried more earnest and heart- 
felt wishes for their future success and happiness. 
There are scores of invalids throughout our country 
who have been enabled by the noble liberality of this 
gentleman to derive infinite benefit from the use of 
these world-famed waters, which but for his generosity 
they would never have been able to avail themselves 
of. He carries into retirement the gratitude and 
kind wishes of hundreds, for wherever such a cha- 
racter is found it brings unlimited respect and honor. 

On a sofa near us a group of ladies were discussing 
and commenting on the genealogy of an absent 
friend! What a caustic pleasantry! Never was 
there such candid biographers. Since Moore's Life 
of Sheridan, never was friend so impartially dealt 
with. And yet, if the absent one should have en- 
tered unexpectedly, the fair anatomists would, we 



176 



doubt not, indulge in the expansive action of a ^' Ger- 
man comedy," and fold her to their hearts. 

What would the squatters in the prairies, repining 
after intercourse with their kind — what would the 
wanderers in Australia — what would the solitary 
English Rajah say to the uncharitable and unchris- 
tian feelings evinced by this knot of ladies, who, in- 
stead of loving one another each as herself — instead 
of doing to each other as they would be done by, 
were thus indulging in harsh and unkind remarks of 
the absent? 

"How dare you let your voice 
'Talk out of tune so with the voice of God ? 
Thou dost profane the loveliest light and air 
God ever gave ; be still, and look and listen ! 
I Forego that tone, made harsh by a cold heart, 
• And hearken, if you're not afraid to hearken, 
' Yon robin's careless carol, glad and sweet, 
Mocking the sunshine with his merry trill. 
Suppose you try to chord your voice with his ; 
But first learn love and wisdom of him, lady — 
Learn tjie lesson that you need — the law of love!" 

In a standing position in the hall a couple of gen- 
tlemen were discussing a recent failure in New York, 
talking of the affair as coolly as they would have 
done of some embarrassed railway line, declaring 
that nothing better than insolvency was to have been 
expected of a poor, inert, yea-nay hypochondriac, 
governed by his clerks, and shuddering at the sight 
of an account book. 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 177 

XL VI. 

EAIKY DAY AT THE WHITE SULPHUR. 

Greenbrier, July, 1857. 

The weather, for the last day or two, has been as 
fickle as a coquette, and the barometer in a perpetual 
state of perplexity. 

More than a week ago we had projected a pedes- 
trian excursion to the mountains on this day, but the 
morning opened with one of those steady, perpendicu- 
lar rains, which we felt persuaded would go drizzle 
— drizzle — through the day. Without, everything 
was dim, misty, and cheerless. The very birds sat 
moping in grim despondency on the boughs. About 
nine o'clock, there seemed a sort of disposition in 
the sky to clear, and there was for a moment a sun- 
burst ; but it was transient, for in an hour the sky 
was again overcast, and a heavy fog rose up like the 
Arabian Genii from the sea, accompanied by another 
indefatigable shower, just as if some spiteful fiend 
was wringing a wet blanket in the air. The rain 
continued for an hour or two, driving against the win- 
dows as strenuously as if discharging a duty ; and 
during the whole day the weather was as persever- 
ingly disagreeable as if priding itself on its ill-doiug. 

Most reluctlantly we abandoned our intention and 
retired to the parlor, where we found a crowd trying 
to kill or get rid of the enemy — time. In the mid- 



178 LIFE IN WASHINGTON, AND 

die of one of the rooms a centre-table stood out chill 
and prominent, cleared of all feminine litter, while 
some of the rebellious visitors, for want of more ele- 
vating amusement, had congregated around it for a 
game of whist. Groups of twos and fours were wan- 
dering up and down the rooms, looking as forlorn 
and purposeless as our first parents after the fall. 
By one of the windows stood a young girl, her little 
fair hands crossed one over the other, gazing out 
mournfully at the petulant rain as it sang against 
the panes and clung to the frame- work of the window. 

But the cynosure of all eyes, the nucleus round 
which all gathered, was the newly-arrived bride from 
Louisville, Kentucky, sister of Mr. Matt Ward, of 
that city, who is among the guests. Quite a crowd 
had gathered round the new-comer, for a nearer in- 
spection of that which is hailed with such joy in the 
dead calm of fashionable life here — a new face. 

We don't believe Tommy Moore found anything 
fairer, when he went angel-hunting under the shade 
of the sumachs, than the picturelike face of this 
child-bride. She is evidently just from school, for 
the expression is bright with the early flush of youth, 
such as seldom survives the vigils of a single season. 
Although her exquisite loveliness of feature is such 
as to throw the pretensions of others into the shade, 
yet her disposition seems so gentle, her naivete so 
captivating, that it would be impossible to cherish 
one jealous feeling against her. To our mind, the 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 179 

chief charm of this bride is the shy, sweet tenderness, 
that seems to rest upon her face. Her diamonds and 
Point d'Alengon would have rejoiced the courtly 
pencil of Vandyke. 

As our eye glanced around it fell upon Mr. , 

of Mississippi. This gentleman is one moment ad- 
dressing halting sonnets to an idolized edition of one 
of his friend's lovely sisters ; the next pledging him- 
self heart and soul to Miss , who has appropri- 
ate predilections of her own; the next, suffering his 

eyes to be dazzled with Miss , and still, dear 

reader, he is all this time keeping the bloom upon 
his heart as sacred as a head-gardener on his bunches 
of hot-house grapes ; and he will be ready, on com- 
ing of age, to offer an unmortgaged hand, heart, and 
estate to some heiress who will double his fortune. 

There is a phase of married life in the "fashiona- 
ble world" which we cannot understand. The par- 
ties seem to have no share in the apportionment of 
each other's existence. In the fashionable world all 
seem privileged to follow a "married lady." Very 
young men dangle after her from room to room, gen- 
tlemen with income, and those with no income at all, 
consider themselves at liberty to enjoy the delightful 
privilege of seeking her mantle among those miscel- 
laneous heaps of female habiliments which the neces- 
sities of our climate nightly amass at the White 
Sulphur ball-room. All this strikes us as singular ; 
for we have been "brought up" with the rather 



180 LIFE IN WASHINGTON, AND 

quaint idea tliat a wife should laugh with her husband, 
cry with him, sell the shoes off her feet for him, and 
then walk barefoot to earn more, for his sake. 

But perhaps it is best as it is in the gay world, for, 
were these fashionable couples compelled to run in 
harness together, an upset would be inevitable. 

Mrs. , of Washington, is here. Every one 

seems anxious to receive the law from her lips on all 
points of fashionable etiquette. Her influence in 
society is remarkable. Were she to appear attired 
in a tunic and zone, the ranks* of fashion would 
swarm with Cordelias and Agrippinas. Were she 
to discover an eighth deadly sin in the vulgarity of 
robust health, chicken broth would suffice pour tout 
potage. Should she favor the fine arts, throngs of 
upper-tendom would bid for pictures they did not 
want and statues they did not appreciate. 



XLVII. 

FLIKTATION IN THE PARLOR. 

Greenbrier, July, 1857. 

Some of our male flirts here are pursuing this 
amusement with great vigor. Some carry it on to 
desperation for a fortnight, and then leave for the 
Sweet ; others, on the expected eve of a declaration, 
fly ofi" on the summon of a new beauty at the Salt^ 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 181 

showing plainly that of all birds, birds of passage 
arc the most difficult to bring down. Some few may 
be waiting for the familiar facilities of Lover s Walk 
to hazard their proposals ; but most of them are on 
the qui vive for self-defence. 

We introduce to our readers a couple in the ball- 
room. The lady seems so thoroughly self-engrossed, 
that she is making a tremendous rent in her " Brus- 
sel's Point" with the incrusted sticks of a fan, 
which she is agitating with uncommon vehemence. 
She has entered the lists of a fashionable life un- 
guarded by any precocious philosophy ; inclined to 
believe that words are things, that those who speak 
her fairly mean her kindly. Her companion is 
really an amateur in his vocation, one who travels 
merely to get rid of himself and his time, and thinks 
both one and the other well bestowed on the lovely 
girl at his side. He is neglecting no occasion of 
seeking her society, and yet the moths flitting in the 
twilight, and the bees hovering their golden way 
back to the hive, are not lighter on the wing. This 
fair girl is left wholly to her own guidance; her 
father, absorbed by other matters, does not apply 
his observation to sublunary things sufficiently to 
perceive that his daughter is in danger of losing her 
heart ; and her mild mother looks on with as vague 
and incurious an eye as if she was only a painted 
representation of a mother. Her presence appears to 
form no restraint on their intercourse. She seems 

16 



182 



to see or hear no more of their proceedings than the 
idle wind that blows. 

All this is fraught with peril to one of the parties. 
We will spare our readers the ' ' twilight, " the " Lover's 
Walk," and the "flirtation parlor," and all the poetry 
of the case, and bring them to the results. As the 
season draws to a close, even the fair girl herself will 
think it strange that he is not her "declared lover." 
As the time for separation approaches, he will speak 
of the misery of leaving her, as though a journey 
home was an Arctic expedition, and himself the 
most wretched of victims, in being forced to leave 
when his whole soul will remain riveted at the 
"Springs." In the faintest and tenderest of whis- 
pers he will say all that is usually said by youifg 
gentlemen at liberty to be desperately in love, but 
not quite at liberty to make an offer of their hand. 
When the time for departure arrives, her hand will 
be taken with an intensity of pressure ; he may even 
touch her cheek with his lips for the first, last, and 
only time ; and then — the flattery she has found so 
irresistible will address itself to other ears; the 
smiles which have enthralled her will win some other 
heart. 

She will go back to her home with as many new 
thoughts and feelings, struggling in her heart and 
brain, as beset a young scholar digesting his first 
perusal of Homer. She imagined she was only in- 
terested and understood, while, in truth, she has in 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 183 

some degree ceased to understand herself; and where 
she believed she was merely passing an idle hour 
pleasantly, she has unconsciously created a moral 
aliment necessary to her after-existence. Her home 
will look chill and desolate. She will indulge in 
those fire-gazing reveries which are supposed to dis- 
cover towns and cities in the burning coals. Oh, 
what dreams will arise before the mild gray eyes, 
strained as if to examine the glowing embers— -dreams 
of this scene, with its quivering beech-trees and glassy 
spring, and he who is now by her side will pilot their 
way ! She may appear in society in fine spirits, but 
a penetrating eye will discover an unnatural flurry 
in all the animation. To forget the past she will 
commence an elaborate piece of embroidery, refresh 
her eyes with currents of air, and rehearse little hys- 
terical laughs, as trials of self-possession. The 
reader will perhaps say "Disdain him — forget him — 
love another," — as if the affections were resumable 
at will. 

In a short time her health will begin to fail; a 
physician will be called in ; he knows nothing of the 
antecedents ; the patient does not confide to him the 
details of the past ; not a syllable is breathed of the 
simulated affection which awoke happiness in her 
heart. With a few vague murmurings of "languid 
state of the circulation," "enfeebled condition of 
the constitution," he will inflict powders in un- 
opened little triangular paper parcels, and then 



184 LIFE IN WASHINGTON, AND 

take his leave, promising to return in a day or two. 
Time passes, and then comes the hearse and the 
grave — and the curtain falls ! 

Reader, the picture we have drawn is no fiction. 
We have only to consult the recesses of our memory 
to recall the wasting figure of one over whom the 
grave has closed forever. The obituary record pro- 
nounced it a "rapid decline." There were two sur- 
vivors who were familiar with the true cause of that 
early death — he who had so wantonly trifled with 
the holiest feelings of our nature, and she whose 
gliding pen traces these words. 

It is probably a sin of ignorance or stupidity on 
our part ; but we honestly admit that we never look 
upon these fliy^tations without the same breath-sus- 
pending feeling with which we look upon a conjuror 
capering among eggs. 



XL VIII. 

GUESTS' DAGUERREOTYPE— FANCY BALL. 

Greenbrier, August, 1857. 

Twelve hundred persons are now said to be on 
the ground and around the "White Sulphur," wait- 
ing for admission. Among these may be found gen- 
tlemen distinguished by titles so innumerable that to 
determine their identity were as difficult as to resolve 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 185 

which is the true Farina and eaw-thentic at Cologne. 
We have men who are enjoying a respite from law, 
legalists fresh from the perusal of jagged and busi- 
ness-like documents — men whose lives are passed in 
relieving those who are entangled in meshes of red 
tape, the most fatal net perhaps that can entangle 
poor human nature. 

We have some few editors, who have flung their 
over-worked pens into the fire, and for a week or two 
are their own masters, eating their rolls and sipping 
their Bohea without dyspeptic haste. We have Coe- 
lebs in search of well-jointured widows ; and clergy- 
men looking as if they had not a thought beyond the 
souls intrusted to their care — men with all the graces 
of Christianity. 

We have wild, picturesque-looking men — followers 
of the sea, in the shape of handsome young navy 
officers, who coolly recount adventures as supernatural 
as those of Gulliver, speaking like young Nelsons of 
the savage countries they have visited. We have 
male flirts — brilliant, but heartless — men who seem 
to possess no heart of their own, and fancy that the 
feelings of others, like their own, are merely assumed 
for show. 

We have some few parents who live in a ferment 
of finesse for their children's matrimonial advance- 
ment, passing their days in devising schemes of hy- 
menial speculation. 

We have beautiful children — mamma's darlings — 
16* 



186 LIFE IN WASHINGTON, AND 

Cupids, minus the wings — whose carol is now audi- 
ble from our gallery without ; little sun-burnt faces, 
looking like ripe hazel-nuts in a tawny husk — dear, 
darling little urchins, who lack only tambourines and 
triangles to resemble the ragged Savoyards of the 
Washington streets that are occasionally relieved with 
sixpences. This indiscreet allusion may produce a 
hurricane of maternal indignation, but were we to 
recount the personal feats of these little wanderers, 
the credulous age we live in would laugh us to scorn. 

We have heiresses — (a word in your ear, dear 
reader ; the writer is, we think, the only portionless 
lady on the grounds) — with slate quarries, ajid the 
mountains where all the famous mutton comes from, 
for their dowry. 

We have very wealthy families, moving through 
life on easy chairs with golden castors — fortunate 
individuals who have only to open their mouth to 
yawn, and it is filled with manna and quails ! We 
have others with large fortunes — not fortunes lazily 
transmitted from sire to son, by hands too inert to do 
more than clench their hereditary havings — but for- 
tunes worked for with the hands, and worked for 
with the head. 

We have brides and grooms, in whose countenances 
as much conjugal happiness is concentrated as ever 
brightened the looks of man, from the days when 
Adam was content to pick posies and to listen to 
nightingales in company with Eve ; and a few "par- 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 187 

venus," profiting by the universal melee of watering- 
place life, to steal edgewise into society. 

And we have here a disciple of Daguerre ; indeed, 
we have just been enduring what all will admit is a 
trial of human patience, undergoing the martyrdom 
of full dress at three o'clock, on a thrilling day, to 
give a sitting for a friend. 

Imagine us, dear readers, actually seated in a 
" daguerreotype gallery," at the White Sulphur ; our 
shoulders enveloped in a white web whose consist- 
ency might serve, on an exigency, for a table-cloth, 
but which calls itself "Chantilly lace;" in our hand 
a volume of one of Dickens's touching novels ; by our 
side a bouquet of very drooping wood-flowers, and 
behind our hapless head an invisible iron band. 
Thus we sit to be examined by the curious eye of 
art, with the full glare of a beaming sun in our face, 
and our merciless friend fidgeting up and down, tor- 
menting the artist with advice and ourself with com- 
ments, which we dare not derange our features by 
answering with proper spirit. Thus primly adjusted, 
they declare we look the very picture of voluptuous 
indolence. Alas ! the ease of our position is wholly 
extrinsic! Our head appears encircled by one of 
the compressive engines of the Inquisition, and, had 
we swallowed a saucer of pickles, our feelings could 
not have been more acidulated against all mankind. 
We hope we shall be sympathized with as the case 
deserves. 



188 



To add to our troubles, a "fancy ball" is antici- 
pated, and we have been forced to listen to an eager 
discussion on the comparative merits of a Vandyke 
costume — a Rembrantized pelisse — an aerial vesture 
of clouds — a Medora, a Peri, a Zingari — an Albanian 
peasant, and a Polish princess, which left us doubly 
perplexed by the multifarious suggestions of each. 



XLIX. 

DRESS BALL— MISS K.— LIEtJT. MAURY. 

White Sulphur, August, 1857. 

The "Dress Ball" of last evening presented a 
brilliant crowd of both sexes. There were portly, 
elderly gentlemen in the glossiest of broadcloths and 
massive watch-seals ; fair women, radiant in smiles 
and diamonds; in short, there was a fashionable 
crowd in most of the paraphernalia of their order. 
Among the gentlemen, beards of every cut, color, 
and proportion might be seen ; from the Oriental to 
the Henry Quatre, from the timidly-cultivated ex- 
otic-looking mustache of the student to the foreign 
minister. 

Our chief employment was derived from the study 
of the various physiognomies which the room pre- 
sented, the assortment comprising as it did a 
sprinkling of all the Southern States. 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 189 

Among the ladies was a lovely girl from Natchez, 
(Miss E.) Tvith a cluster of delicate wood-flowers 
drooping over her ear, the flowers light and faintly 
tinted, just like those which every one who loves the 
woods knows and admires. Her face has an expres- 
sion such as Guido has shed on the seraphic features 
of his saints. This fair girl belongs to one of those 
moss and lichen-grown families whose family-leek is 
rooted in soil antediluvian. 

There were also two others from Mississippi, sis- 
ters, who were prominent among the beauties of the 
evening. The face of one of the two, who has just 
emerged from the Patapsco Institute, Hiram Powers 
might have taken as a model for that of his cele- 
brated "Greek Slave." 

There was also a lively, good-humored, dancing, 
chatting girl. Miss K., from Louisville, Kentucky, who 
seems eminent for that species of lively naivete which 
the old and ugly generally translate into coquetry. 
These last would say probably that she is a bushel 
of chaff and a single grain of corn ; but we venture 
to assert that this grain is worth its weight in 
diamond dust. 

There was an elegant-looking woman from " Eose 
Bank," Yazoo River, Mississippi, one of the many 
charming widows who stand among the most attrac- 
tive of their sex here. A host of admirers seem to 
have constituted themselves collector-general to sup- 
ply her with daily tributes of worship and praise. 



190 



We think, however, she is quite indifferent to this 
echoed applause of society, brought back by these 
carrier-doves, who never fail to appear before her 
with an olive-branch in their mouths. Though pos- 
sessed of a large fortune, she is said to exercise a 
most benevolent and noble generosity in the disposi- 
tion of her wealth. 

^ Lieutenant Maury, of Washington City, is among 
the lately-arrived visitors. This gentleman harmo- 
nizes antagonistic winds, searches into the very tides 
of the ocean, gives the poor mariner power over the 
heaving billows, harnessing the wild waves, and 
giving the ship a soul that she may pass safely 
through the awful perils of the sea. 

" Love affairs" are in a state of progression. Some 
few are wearing willow-garlands as long as Ophelia's. 
One or two, it is whispered, have been jilted by 
heiresses. These last deserve pity, when they lose 
the estate that dove-tailed so nicely into their own ! 



L. 

BALL-ROOM— MARRIED LADIES. 
Greenbrier, August, 1857. 

Every person familiar with the expedients to 
which the stage has recourse to revive the dramatic 
taste of our country — too active to be easily ex- 
cited by theatrical exhibitions — must be familiar 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 191 

Avith a sort of false vivacity, called by Mrs. Ritchie 
"stage bustle," in which, at the flattest point of a 
play, the dramatis personce make a prodigious fuss 
about nothing, in order to keep the spectator on the 
qui vive by their liveliness. Now, there is a moment 
of the watering-place season when ladies and gentle- 
men get up the same sort of factitious animation. 
Then begin tableaux and fancy balls and excursions 
to adjoining springs, and dinners at the " Sweet." 
The fashion of the season seems in favor of the 
latter, and people drive to the "Sweet" in dusty 
weather in order to meet the same people whose 
tediousness wearied them at the "White," and eat a 
dinner very little better than the one they leave. 

A fancy ball is to come off in a few days at the 
"Sweet," and the thermometer of feminine vanity is 
rising even to fever-heat. Trunks are emptied, and 
blondes, illusions, and moire antiques are succes- 
sively exhibited, the fair owners deeply involved in 
deciding which is necessary to make themselves 
overpowering ; boxes are opened to try the effect of 
pearls, rubies, and diamonds, upon the rich fabrics 
between which their choice is undecided. 

Our dress ball of last evening was graced by the 
presence of three late arrivals, whose Vivian-Greyish 
air of high refinement and finished manners indicate 
habitual intercourse with the most cultivated circles, 
a handsome young widower, Col. L., of Mobile, and 
Messrs. L. and F., young planters of Columbus, 



192 



Mississippi. Mobile and Columbus may be proud of 
sucb representatives. The triumvirate have already 
reduced to gravity the laughing countenance of more 
than one lovely girl. 

Among the crowd of ladies was one, with an ex- 
quisite necklace of Mosaics, who was surrounded by 
some dozen gentlemen in the intervals of the danc- 
ing. She appeared to take very little notice of any 
of them, her eye occasionally peeping over her 
shoulders to see that the ringlets were doing no dis- 
credit to their dainty resting-place. One of the num- 
ber placed himself before her, and was rewarded by 
a calm, languid smile of notice ; he claimed her hand 
for the next quadrille, for the ensuing waltz, and 
was refused with polite equivocation upon every re- 
newed attempt. 

People here are compelled to seize upon very ex- 
traordinary moments for their confidences and decla- 
rations. In Andalusia the soft confession would be 
murmured to a guitar accompaniment ; or, in the 
land of Burns, piped forth in "pastoral song." But 
amid the sophistication of a fashionable watering- 
place a vast deal of love is necessarily made in pub- 
lic. Proposals are sometimes tendered during the 
dismemberment of a chicken wing, and sentimental 
confidences uttered while the head musician is screw- 
ing up his violin. 

During the course of the evening we noticed the 
graceful figures of two or three married ladies whirl- 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 193 

ing round the room, flying through the maze of 
"waltzers, in the centre of a ring of admiring specta- 
tors. "VVe should think that gentlemen endowed with 
that nervous susceptibility of body and soul which 
the ill-natured designate by the name of jealousy — 
we should think that nothing could be more trying 
to husbands afflicted with this distemper, than to 
see such encroachments on their privileges. What 
a trial of sensibility when the dance is a waltz, the 
husband an Othello, and the lucky partner a gentle- 
man of no ordinary attractions I xA^s the leader of 
the band swelled his concluding minim, and the vio- 
linist's chin rested on his key-note, we observed the 
countenanee of one of these husbands lowering with 
tornados of conjugal indignation. 

For ourselves we could see all gallants to married 
ladies, either in general or particular, — we could see 
the whole race drowned in milk of roses without a 
pang. We cannot understand the sort of apathetic 
etiquette that exists among people who vow, at the 
altar, to become one flesh, one heart, one soul, for 
richer for poorer, for better for worse. 

17 



194 



LI. 

SCENE IN THE PAELOR— MR. PICKENS. 

Greenbrier, August, 1857. 

Again, dear reader, we summon you to the par- 
lor as arbitrarily as if subpoenaed by the Court of 
Chancery. 

The guests have adjourned there in crowds, having 
no further occupation, after breakfast, but a tooth- 
pick, to interfere with their social propensities. In 
the hall, surrounded by gentlemen, stands Miss 

Florida R , a celebrated belle from Madison, 

Mississippi, a lady who seems to unite feminine 
gentleness with airy elegance. Her complexion ex- 
hibits a degree of fairness such as a carper might 
denounce as insipid. But the total absence of color 
serves only to enhance the beauty of her large ga- 
zellelike eyes, fringed with exuberant lashes ; and 
the full redness of a mouth of such exquisite pro- 
portions that one- could wish it ever closed but for 
the pearls disclosed by its slightest discomposure. 
As we look upon her spotless beauty we think of the 
words of the old madrigal : — 

*' Have you seen but a white lily blow 
Before rude hands have clutch'd it? 
Have you seen but the fall of the snow 
Before the soil hath smutch'd it?" 

There is a fossil specimen of the sterner sex who 
has left her side and retired to the portico, pulled 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 195 

his shapeless felt hat over his face, and is describing 
circles and all manner of geometrical problems with 
the point of his well- varnished shoe upon the floor, 
with an evident determination to be silent and miser- 
able. It is whispered that this gentleman is an 
aspirant for this lady's hand. If she would depute 
us as plenipotentiary, we think we could explain to 
him the impossibility of her ever requiting his re- 
gard. This charming girl pleads guilty to the soft 
impeachment of choosing to marry for love, pre- 
ferring a crust of bread and happiness to fortune 
and the inevitable retribution which deservedly fol- 
lows a mercenary marriage. Poor man ! like a 
newly-caught bird, his restlessness is painful to 
behold. 

The fair girl at her side, from Iberville, La., is 
just emancipated from the school-room, and, like 
other creatures tamed by long confinement, she seems 
puzzled on emerging from her cage to determine 
what road to take. Some birds build in the loftiest 
trees, others on the ground; this sweet girl will 
prefer the lowly nest. 

The lady in conversation with the member from 
South Carolina is the only child of the Senator from 
Georgia. She is as unpretending in deportment as 
becomes her high, worldly position, and seems to re- 
tain her appropriate position in the world without 
assuming its livery or forfeiting the better attributes 
of her nature. 



196 



The lady passing through the rooms, with her silk 
dress rustling like a plantation of aspens, is Mrs. 

, who has a weakness for everything foreign. It 

is said that this amiable trait led her, on one occa- 
sion, to introduce the refuse of a Leipsic fair in 
Germany into the first society in , merely be- 
cause they happened to have an unpronounceable 
name and to eat snails and sour krout without 
wincing. 

The gentleman who is lounging through the rooms 

with such easy nonchalance is Mr. . Dandy is 

too vulgar a term to apply to this individual ; he is 
an exquisite du supreme hon ton, and his gold guard- 
chain — nearly the size of a " Collar of the Garter" — 
enameled studs, jeweled pin, and the perfume exud- 
ing from his clothes, avouch him an exquisite of the 
first water. 

We have all heard that when the royal graves 
were opened, during the French Eevolution, the body 
of St. Mequin was recognized by the Italian perfumes 
which it still emitted ; and, we are persuaded, that 
the mummy of this gentleman, after two centuries 
interment, will give out an effluvia of patchouli. As 
he passes, the gentlemen exchange certain impolite 
aspirations for his transfer to some unrecordable 
spot ; but we, dear reader, silently wish him in a 
better place. 

There is existing between some of our belles here 
a sort of incipient feud, which, in former times, 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 197 

would have exploded into a Capulet and Montagu 
antagonism. Their antipathy has its origin, how- 
ever, only in those petty rivalries which originate 
the troubles of so many who lay claims to belleship. 
One lovely girl has been condemned, executed, and 
given over by a jury of her fashionable friends, for 
being guilty of wearing a Berthe of Gruipure lace, 
with sleeves of ''Point d'Alengon.''' 

Another has shared the same fate for displaying 
the cloven-foot of the pedant, though the forewoman 
of the jury affects to weep while she delivers the 
impartial verdict ! 

The Hon. F. W. Pickens, of South Carolina, is 
among the late arrivals. His high personal char^^c- 
ter and fine abilities seem to point him out as one 
eminently calculated to fill the high position recently 
tendered him by Mr. Buchanan, of Ambassador to 
Russia. 

We have also Dr. Bryant, of Warren, Mississippi, 
a gentleman of influence in his own State, and one 
of the recently-appointed delegates to the "West 
Point" examination of Cadets. 

Miss Gr., the very charming daughter of a physi- 
cian, from Madison, Mississippi, attracts much ad- 
miration here. To converse with this very intelli- 
gent person is like turning up a furrow of virgin 
soil in all its native richness — her ideas are so sen- 
sible, her -perception so clear on every subject. She 
seems to think and feel so justly that it is a pleasure 
17* 



198 



to afford her novel themes for thought and feeling. 
It is neither her beauty, grace, nor talent that is 
her charm ; it is all these combined, with a total ab- 
sence of selfishness, and a consideration for the feel- 
ings and happiness of all around her. 

We have also the accomplished ex-Secretary of 
War, Mr. Conrad, of New Orleans, with his very 
promising son, a youth of seventeen. 



LII. 

COUNT SARTIGES— JUDGE WAYNE. 

Greenbeiee, August, 1857. 

The sun shines out brightly upon legions of well- 
dressed people and well-dressed horses. All the 
Greenbrier world is laughing, chatting, dancing, and 
singing themselves giddy. Here, remote from the 
gay world, in this Paradise of Nature, one would 
think our gay belles would lose their taste for the 
glare of the ball-room and the stirring tones of the 
orchestra. 

But balls succeed each other like tempting courses 
at the banquet of life. The great old-fashioned 
thing called society is here broken up into sets and 
coteries. 

Some laugh away their time, seeming to think that 
mirth is the highest intellectual faculty. 



LIFE HERE AND THEllE. 199 

Life here, with others, consists in sleeping away 
one-half the twenty-four hours. These last seem to 
agree with the Gascon, who, when told that the Seine 
Avas a river that never left its bed, replied, '•^voila 
une riviere qui sai vivre.'' The Seine knows what 
it is about. 

Some pass their time in visiting, rushing from cot- 
tage to cottage, leaving square bits of pasteboard. 
Imagine, dear readers, visiting cards at the White 
Sulphur ! Robinson Crusoe's dismay at seeing the 
print of the man's feet in the sand could have been 
nothing, absolutely nothing, to ours, when these evil 
tokens of Washington life first met our distracted 
sight. 

We have here all grades and classes of society. 
Fractions of the legislation, and business men ; chair- 
men of thriving railway companies, and shareholders 
of a dozen others. We have representatives of Eng- 
land and France ; those two great countries predes- 
tined never to be one, since their union, like that of 
some other couples, is productive of brawls and quar- 
reling, kissing and making it up again, only to re- 
commence the squabble. 

We have also foreign ambassadors. Count Sar- 
tiges, the French Minister, is among the crowd, pro- 
nounced by the late Mr. Marcy to be a concentration 
of diplomatic tact ; indeed, it is said that with this 
distinguished gentleman the Decalogue is superseded 



200 



by an eleventli commandment of "Thou shalt not be 
found out." 

"We have also the expressive face and light mus- 
tache of Mr. Stackal, Ambassador from that huge 
domain which incloses in one empire the bones of 
the Siberian Mammoth, and the valleys of Circas- 
sian flowers. This great country met the sad re- 
verse of the destruction of Sebastopol with the deli- 
cate tact with which Napoleon's bulletins converted 
the retreat from Moscow into a triumph. These dis- 
tinguished personages are said to be Talleyrands in 
their profession, possessing so much of the necessary 
sang froid that they would betray no surprise on 
suddenly finding themselves nose to trunk with an 
elephant. 

We have also one of the blood royal here, fresh 
from Paris and the roar of his cousin's imperial 
cannon, — Mr. Jerome Bonaparte, — one who, if he 
chooses, can describe the cut of Louis Napoleon's 
mustaches and epaulets. 

We have Judge Wayne, of the Supreme Court, 
who passes along in dignified abstraction, looking 
like a portrait of St. Jerome, by the tender pencil 
of Guide. 

We have also gentlemen who are elevated on pe- 
destals in political life, which requires them to be 
studious of their attitudes. Senator Slidell, with his 
charming lady, is here. 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 201 

LIII. 

LOVE SCENE IN THE PARLOK. 

Greenbkier, July, 1857. 

Cupid is fluttering his wings here. Our hand 
trembles, dear reader, while we relate the shocking 
fact, that the sighs of the lovers alone, if collected, 
might turn a mill. There are, too, some few great 
matches, unique in point of settlement, where the 
lovers' talk is of railway shares and securities, where 
their billet-doux might be interchanged by the elec- 
tric trelegraph with perfect propriety — couples with 
whom wedlock seems a business to be transacted. 

At the quiet hour of four o'clock yesterday — an 
hour when the ladies are secluded as strictly as nuns 
of any sisterhood in Spain, and the gentlemen, niched 
in arm-chairs, are enjoying that species of chaotic 
mental vagary in which they are apt to indulge after 
a bottle of choice claret — we sauntered to the par- 
lor, hoping to enjoy, in the cozy music-room, a quiet 
hour with Tennyson's Maud. We were not, how- 
ever, allowed undisturbed possession of the rooms, 
for a couple were seated in the opposite parlor, where 
we could command a view of them, conversing in 
tones which would not have drowned the morning 
hymn of a bumble-bee. We opened the embossed 
red morocco doors, and bent over the mystic black 
and white furniture, as if, like a somnambulist in a 



2Q2 LIFE IN WASHINGTON, AND 

state of clairvoyance^ we could read with our eyes 
shut. But notwithstanding our seeming pre-occu- 
pation, our attention was sufficiently disengaged to 
note that, though the lady's eyes rested on her work, 
and the seam she was sewing exhibited the most pat- 
ternlike evenness of workmanship, her manner and 
appearance had that flushed tremor of perfect felicity 
with which our sex listen to the assurance that they 
are angels. She seemed a far more eloquent listener 
than talker ; her varying complexion affording answer 
enough to her companion. 

As we peeped slyly over the volume, we observed 
the gentleman take up a pair of scissors and begin 
to clip off minute sections of the embroidery which 
he had unconsciously withdrawn from her work-box. 
At this juncture the elaborate clipper looked as aus- 
piciously sheepish as any victim destined to surren- 
der its fleece at the next farmers' spring meeting. 
The lady plied her needle with redoubled and almost 
angry rapidity, and as her companion made a tre- 
mendous abbreviation of the embroidery, her com- 
plexion varied no longer, but became permanent 
crimson. 

It was plainly evident that this couple were shar- 
ing together a dream of first attachment, which leaves 
the remainder of life a blank. The sands in their 
hour-glass are all of gold; the White Sulphur to 
them a Paradise. The summer of 1857 will be to 
this sweet girl a memorable summer, long afterwards 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 203 

noted permanently in her calendar. That parlor 
will be sacred in her eyes, and she will recur to it 
amid the hard realities as a mirage of her heart's 
first love. Alas ! Death's skeleton finger may even 
now be pointed at the form by her side. That dark 
sovereign of a dark hour may break in upon her 
vision of happiness. For long desolate years these 
hours may live in her memory, and after time has 
subdued her grief, she. may still tell what flowers 
were in bloom the summer she passed here, what 
fragrance of sweetness was in the air, what an ex- 
ulting song of birds in the skies. In after-life the 
White Sulphur, with its velvet lawn and climbing 
vines, may be in her heart a '^mortuary chamber" 
into which she may retreat at will ; an elysium whose 
fruit and flowers exhibit perpetual spring, although 
death may have created winter elsewhere. She may 
recall those rambling walks, those horseback drives ; 
she may hear again the muffled tramp of the horses 
on the green grass, the ingratiating whisper breathed 
in her ear, and the blue sky bending over all. And 
yet the world, dear reader, calls this "sentimental ;" 
the world — hard, rational, matter-of-fact, debating, 
legislating — will, perhaps, read it in a tone of de- 
rision and mockery. 



204 



LIV. 

VISIT TO THE KED SWEET. 
Red Sweet Springs, August, 1857. 

To visit the "White Sulphur" without passing 
some time at the Sweet- Springs^ which are seven- 
teen miles distant from the former, would be an 
omission tantamount to the tragedy of Hamlet being 
announced for representation with the part of Ham- 
let to be left out. 

We, in accordance with the wishes of our party, 
made arrangements, and left the "White" at an early 
hour, while the fashionable world were under cano- 
pies of chintz and dimity, and the menial world of 
the kitchen cabinet preparing breakfast. It was a 
charming morning, the air still fresh with night dews, 
and though the daylight was broad upon the hills, it 
crept more slowly down through the bushy slopes of 
the rocks and the tangled brakes of the valley. The 
road was not one of your broad, dusty, glaring cause- 
ways, but a zigzag, up-and-down by-road, always 
surprising you with some new picturesque peep at 
every turn. We passed through the thick woods, 
full of giant trees, lifting their arms wide to heaven, 
their tufted tops spreading in thick canopies over- 
head. The sweet breeze of a summer morning sent 
a low, murmuring sound among the trees, which 
seemed to nod their heads, and whisper and rustle 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 205 

their thick leaves. It seemed like the dying away 
of distant anthems. It was like moving through the 
vast aisles of some Gothic cathedral. 

After a delightful drive of some five hours, we 
reached the modest, charming, pastoral " Red Sweet," 
imbedded in vines and leaves of clustering green. 
There is an air about this place which makes us 
think of the beautiful old times when they knew how 
to build cottages as well as cathedrals. The whole 
establishment is a very jewel of irregularity, matted 
over with vines in one place, ivied in another, and 
altogether surrounded with a wilderness of laurels, 
chestnuts, oaks, and vines. It is just the sort of 
pastoral-looking place which youthful couples, newly 
united by a clergyman, would vow they prefer a 
thousand times to any mansion in the land. The 
world-worn politician, in the height of his cares and 
reputation, might doubt whether he would not have 
a happier lot as the tenant of so sweet an abode. 

The spring attached to this establishment is said 
to be the finest chalybeate in this country, if not 
in the world. It is plainly indicated by the red- 
ness of the earth which surrounds it, caused by 
the deposition of the copious solution of iron with 
which it is charged. From under the jagged edges 
of a huge rock arise a thousand sparkling bubbles, 
so that it looks like a rivulet of efiervescent wine. It 
seems to issue out of the dull, porous rocks, painted 
over thick with a red deposit of iron oxyd. The 
18 



206 



taste of the water is of a saline flavor, but quite palat- 
able. We can well imagine this spring to be one of 
the full-charged subterranean arteries, out of which 
issue numberless veins that bear through sinuous cre- 
vices in the rock the waters of the various mineral 
springs that are found so abundantly here. 

We shall not attempt, dear reader, to reproduce 
the scene that met our eye as we entered the beauti- 
ful lawn that surrounds it, like a carpet of green. 
At one point we came upon a group of happy chil- 
dren, whose light-hearted laughter rang out upon the 
air in merry music ; at another we stumbled upon a 
group of gentlemen, clustered round a table, manoeu- 
vring their little dotted black and white dominos 
with wonderful skill. On one of the galleries a party 
of lads were lying on the benches, their game-bags 
tossed wearily at their feet ; while on an upper story 
stand a bevy of ebony-cheeked nurses, holding in 
their arms the children of some doting mothers, whose 
golden hair and lily skin formed a striking contrast 
to their sable companions. And the dinner to which 
we were invited ! Apicius himself could not have de- 
sired more delicious fare. 

Our window looks to the mountain, and thus kindly 
inclosed with green leaves we write. And the air ! 
Those only who leave the hot terraces and singed 
walls of a city, can worthily panegyrize the crystal 
transparency, the elastic lightness in the atmosphere, 
which renders the act of inhaling it an absolute en- 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 207 

joyment. We have the sunny warmth of summer, 
without its oppressiveness. Dear readers, you whose 
ears are wearied with the coarse din of business tho- 
roughfares and your eyes aching with the glare of 
brick walls, oh that you could glance at the view 
from our window as we write! By it you would 
learn that God liveth not alone in history, but in 
nature ; that he speaketh not alone in inspiration, 
but audibly ; that he is not the God of the dead, but 
of the living. It is indeed a Paradise which causes 
most people to lament that during their sojourn 
their five senses cannot be multiplied by two. 



LV. 

SCENE AT TUE RED SWEET, 

Red Sweet Springs, August, 1857. 

We have bid farewell to the whirl and tumult of 
life at the White Sulphur, and have anchored down 
for a few days at the rural Paradise of A'^irginia 
watering-places — the "Red Sweet Springs." 

We feel luxuriously disposed to writing; every- 
thing around contributes to this feeling. It is a 
golden morning, and the sun is streaming through 
the green vines by which our gallery is shaded. 
These entangled streamers seem to struggle across 
and peep in at the window as if in search of something 



208 LIFE IN WASHINGTON, AND 

kindred with themselves. It is one of those lovely, 
April-like days which, at the Red Sweety is so apt 
to deceive one into the belief that there are two 
sijrings in a year, — -just as the beaming influence of 
a pair of blue eyes occasionally creates a similar de- 
lusion in the heart of a superannuated beau. The 
air, free from the dust-floating particles and exhala- 
tions of the city, is perfectly transparent, and before 
our window wave the leaves of a veteran of the forest, 
while the birds from its branches are treating us to 
their liquid whistles. Indeed, the birds seem to be 
holding a congress in this old tree, intent only upon 
themselves, not caring for the fate of their old friend, 
that has borne their weight from the period of its 
green beauty until now. There is a moral under this 
which might be applied to modern politicians. 

One of the orators has just left the old tree, pro- 
bably in disgust ; he means of course to appeal to 
his constituents in the farther woods, and define his 
position. 

Dear reader, oh that every child in your pent-up 
streets could be bathed by this delicious breeze ! The 
air kisses our cheek, and lays its soft finger on our 
forehead, and leaves a touch of balm not only upon 
our lips, but upon our heart. 

In front of us a lawn, enameled with a rich coat- 
ing of verdure, is rolled out like a carpet. Beyond 
the lawn, and extending farther into the plantation, 
are fields containing cattle, reposing, feeding, or 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 209 

standinor in social clusters. But there is a romantic 
waterfall near the bath-houses that has some spe- 
cial and peculiar merits, which must not be omitted. 
It is pre-eminently musical, pouring out its soul in 
one perpetual anthem by day and by night. The 
rocky ledge over which it flows is of varying height 
and size, and so scientifically adapted that it is pre- 
pared, at all seasons and in every state of the 
weather, to give concerts, with a full orchestra, to 
whoever may choose to listen. It evidently possesses 
great skill in its art ; for, though it performs its part 
in all sorts of time, there is perfect harmony in the 
swelling whole. The song of this waterfall is our 
welcome in the morning and our lullaby at night. 
It chimes in with our thoughts of home and dreams 
of slumber; it is a sort of pleasant ground to the 
entire picture of life here. 

From twelve to two is the usual bathing hour, and 
from five to six in the morning. It is now the latter 
period, and, as we write, stragglers are taking their 
early promenade with a manner so sullen that it 
seems to bid defiance to the brightness of Aurora. 
Fair girls, whose forms are sufi"ering from perfect 
inanition of apparel — so lankly hang their morning 
robes — loiter along. The fashion, at all watering- 
places, seems to be to make funeral bows before 
breakfast. The same person who dashes ojQF a Tag- 
lioni salute in the evening, now makes you a dejected 
18* 



210 



obeisance that might become a dervish doing pen- 
ance. How to account for this singular depression 
in social intercourse on beginning the day, whether 
it be out of consideration for the primitive styles of 
dishabille^ in which it is usual to appear, remain a 
mystery which we are no Solomon to solve. 

Among the guests we see most of the familiar faces 
of the "White Sulphur." Timid young girls of the 
"White" appear here as courteous and beautiful 
women ; we see unerring symptoms, too, of the ap- 
proach of the close of the season. The gentlemen are 
growing fidgety and restless, incessantly pining after 
their plantations, and receiving tiresome letters from 
their overseers. Young gentlemen who have looked 
forward to the "White Sulphur" to dance themselves 
into the affections of some rich heiress, sit despond- 
ingly in the parlor, or retire to the perusal of their 
bills in their monotonous lodgings. 

An elaborate fancy hall comes off on Tuesday 
night, which, from the extensive preparations, pro- 
mises to be worth transferring to paper. The com- 
plaints of the "fare" at the White Sulphur, so often 
and so petulantly made, are not heard here. The 
barbacued chickens, broiled to a marvelous degree 
of temptation, the excellence of the butter, the cake- 
like seductiveness of the corn-bread^ which almost 
dissolves in the mouth as you look at it ; these, and, 
above all, the purity and cleanliness of the dining- 
room, table-linen, and table-ware, render such a 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 211 

complaint impossible. But the established reputation 
of tlie table of the "Red Sweet" renders an allusion 
to it almost superfluous. 



fLVI. 

EDITOR OF THE "RICHMOND SOUTH." 

Red Sweet, August, 1857. 

The day after our arrival at the Red Sweet we 
noticed among the crowd of gentlemen a face which 
strikingly contrasted with the faces around him. 
He was a slight figure, with a set of features remark- 
able for their intellectual cast ; a profusion of dark- 
brown hair, falling back from his brow in long 
straight masses over the collar of his coat, gave a 
student-like air to his whole appearance. We men- 
tally set him down as a somebody of personal 
individuality ; certainly a man of whose name we 
would have expected to hear. 

"We unconsciously rose to our feet on hearing his 
name, and found ourselves in the actual presence of 
the far-famed editor of the Souths and in such close 
vicinity, too I Why, our awe increased almost to tre- 
pidation ; we felt as if locked in a vault full of in- 
flammable gas, likely to explode with the first light 
introduced into it. Indeed, five minutes wore away 
in the preliminary explanations before we could be 



212 



brought clearly to identify the youthful person before 
us — who might pass for a student of divinity or a 
young professor of moral philosophy — with the fiery 
and impetuous editor of the Riclunond South, who 
keeps half the telegraphs in the country at work to 
waft his dueling challenges to and fro. 

Yes, dear reader, this is the Southern editor 
whom the scribblers at the North set forth in turgid 
prose as a violent, dangerous individual, and label 
him Poison. He is, we believe, considered one of 
the ablest political writers in all the South, and his 
articles were said to be highly influential in the late 
party controversy. For ourselves, we regard with 
admiration this gifted young man, for we discern be- 
neath his faults of temperament a gallant heart. 
We see a magnanimous disdain of everything which 
wears the faintest semblance of deceit. We admire 
the boldness with which, on all occasions, he asserts 
what he deems truth, and combats what he thinks 
error. We hope to see him outlive his dueling pro- 
pensities, the only radical flaw in his fine character, 
which seems now to afford a kind of safety-valve to 
the wired-down impetuosity of his fiery nature. 

The pedestal is established ; it remains for him to 
provide it with a statue. And yet the efforts of na- 
ture may be defeated by his own act. Between the 
metal bubbling in the furnace and the round and 
polished statue it has been fused to create, the 
chances of casting intervene. 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 213 

His young family cannot fail to create an immedi- 
ate interest in the eyes of the most casual observer. 
Pictures of the Madonna have not his young wife's 
rare beauty. She is said to regard the dueling pro- 
pensity of her husband with the same indulgence she 
would show if he was stricken with deafness, lame- 
ness, or any other physical infirmity. She has taken 
him for better and for worse, though he may in this 
one point prove considerably worse than there was 
any reason to predict, when she appeared in orange- 
flowers at the altar. And then his beautiful, noble- 
looking children, they might serve as models for in- 
fant Apollos, such as Thorwaldsen or Flaxman might 
have prayed for ! 

The man who could, no matter what the provoca- 
tion, strike down the father of such a family, must 
have a heart of stone. 

The visitors were yesterday treated to an intel- 
lectual banquet, in the form of a sermon, from a 
talented young clergyman, (Rev. Mr. Barnwell, of 
South Carolina.) This sermon must have struck at- 
tention, whether viewed as a beautiful piece of com- 
position or as a solemn call to a permanent feeling, 
that if few can properly express, all share and under- 
stand — preparation for eternity. The refinement of 
Mr. B.'s eloquence, and the classic sublimity of lan- 
guage, could not but impress all with the reality of 
the great truths he preached concerning life, death, 
and eternity. At one point he seemed to change his 



214 LIFE m WASHINGTON, AND 

sermon into prayer, or rather into an appeal to the 
Invisible, that what he said was true. This young 
divine was, we should judge from his appearance, 
scarce out of his studies, and yet he already evinces 
a power that indicates future eminence in his calling. 
His discourse was entirely extempore, and some por- 
tions of it sublimely eloquent. His manner on com- 
mencing the service was strikingly diffident and un- 
pretending. As a reader, he possesses a voice of 
exquisite modulation and beauty; his rendition of 
one of the Psalms of David lingers still in our 
memory. 



LVII. 

END OF THE SEASON. 
Red Sweet, September, 1857., 

A LUXURIANT oak-tree moves broadly over the 
tranquil landscape before us ; gardens teem with 
fruit and flowers ; flocks quietly feed ; birds wheel 
and chirp. We hear children's voices and the low 
lullaby of happy mothers. The golden corn glistens 
out of sight, and we catch its rustling whispers of 

prosperity; the sound of Miss 's divine voice — 

the miraculous nightingale of the Red Sweet — comes 
wafted from the parlor, while the soft air steals in 
and envelops everything, so that the trees, and the 
hills, and the crops, and the sweet feathered-life are 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 215 

made delicate and beautiful by its pure baptism. On 
the floor of the gallery without sits a modest-eyed 
little girl ; a doll, night-capped and night-gowned, is 
in its cradle, she repeating the exquisite verses of 
"Watts's Evening Hymn" with an air of the most 
perfect faith in its possession of sentiment and som- 
nambulent faculties. 

The end of the season is near. Soon the Septem- 
ber wind will moan elegiacally in these grounds over 
the departed summer ; soon the shriveled leaves will 
be whirled in eddies by fitful autumn gusts. The 
water-flowers on the margin of the springs will be 
withering on their seedy stems ; the streams will 
soon be swollen by autumnal rains, and rise threaten- 
ingly to the summit of the banks. Soon these beau- 
tiful grounds will be forgotten as completely as 
Switzerland, when the glaciers are double-iced ; it 
will soon be as dull here as a rainy hay-time in a 
pastoral country. 

The end of the season is a trying time, and people 
begin to have long faces at thought of the arithmeti- 
cal combination impending over them in the financial 
department. Now comes the process of the plea- 
sant duty of casting one's eyes from the long sinu- 
ous curly $, marshaling the column of the enemy to 
the awful base — units, tens, etc. Mammas who have 
a numerous progeny of angels in white blonde to 
dispose of, grow distracted at the sight. These long, 
narrow paper-matters are always left until the last 



216 



moment, every one seeming to hesitate as they do 
about pulling the string of a shower-bath. 

For ourselves, we pine to return to our "home," 
for, however magnificent the roof that shelters us, 
"home" never forfeits its spell upon our hearts. Its 
most domestic furniture is invested with a species of 
holiness in our eyes. Its viands have a familiarity 
of flavor never acquired by the dainties of more 
splendid fare ; its sights, its sounds, its associations, 
have a stronger hold upon our affections than can 
belong to any other residence. Like the dove of 
the deluge, we return wistfully to this ark from the 
turmoil and strife of the wide ocean of the world, 
for there our heart is sure of a devotion unsullied by 
interest. Even in our childish days we recall the 
joy with which, on our release from the school-room, 
we were wont to fly to that home so dear to us, and 
to the gentle, fostering love which we never failed to 
meet there. And, in maturer days, we crept there 
to pour forth our girlish tribulations, and to meet 
the cherishing softness of a hand which had a charm 
never met with elsewhere. 

Happy they who are lured home by such a mystic 
fascination ! 

Some five hundred visitors are said to be still at 
the White Sulphur. The traveling public may anti- 
cipate ample accommodation there next summer. 
Workmen are already actively employed on the 
foundation for a monster hotel. Although the pro- 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 217 

perty lias changed hands, the eflficient and gentle- 
manly clerks of last summer are still retained ; in- 
deed, we doubt whether the place of Messrs. Fry & 
Eagle could be satisfactorily filled. Where could 
the visitors find elsewhere such prompt and courteous 
attention to their slightest request, such uniform 
courtesy, such impartiality, and such consideration 
for the comfort of all ? 



LVIII. 

WASHINGTON EDITORS— MR. GALES. 

Washington, October, 1857. 

We have editors in Washington — a score of them, 
indeed — but some few we have worth talking about — 
some few who have been talked about — who have 
been blown upon by "the breath of fame" — some 
few, in short, who deserve a historian. Now, do not 
think you see them, dear reader, and place before 
your mind's eye Fanny Fern's description of New 
York editors, with "dispositions as sour as vinegar," 
whom she considers it her bounden duty to de- 
molish. 

Not a bit of it ! Oh no ! You do not see our 
editors. 

For ourselves, we confess to an admiration of 
these much-abused exponents of popular opinion. 
19 



218 LIFE IN WASHINGTON, AND 

Any one would suppose, by the unswerving justice 
and perfection attached by many to the idea of an 
editor, that they believed the leading journals of the 
day to be conducted by archangels, instead of men 
liable to the same prejudices and errors with them- 
selves. 

In our city, at the corner of Seventh and D 
streets, is a building not very noticeable but for the 
extent of ground it covers and its ancient and dingy 
aspect. This structure can be said to represent no 
order of architecture ; indeed, architectural elegance 
seems not to have been thought of when it was de- 
signed ; display is everywhere scrupulously eschewed. 

On entering the door you find yourself in a low- 
browed, smoke-stained room, with discolored desks 
and counters. All the appendages seem old-fa- 
shioned, even to the aged clerk, who receives you with 
a politeness, alas ! old-fashioned too. If you come 
on business with the principal, 3^ou will find yourself 
ascending a narrow and rather gloomy flight of 
stairs. Having accomplished the ascent to the first 
landing, you arrive at a door which you are told is 
the entrance to the editor's room. Before a table, 
covered with papers, pamphlets, and manuscripts, sits 
a venerable-looking man with a pencil in his left hand 
(his right hand has been paralysed for some time) 
as if deliberating a leader, of which but a single line 
is written. No one can glance at that face and not 
at once perceive it to be that of a remarkable man. 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 219 

It is a face more noticeable for character than 
beauty. 

With the name of this gentleman (Joseph Gales) 
the idea of the National Intelligei\eer is inseparably 
connected. For a long series of years he has been 
its conductor ; and, though backed by a host of 
varied talent, he may truly be called its life and 
soul, breathing his spirit as a refining and uniting 
principle over that able journal. His editorials are 
considered close in argument, finished in execution, 
pure in style, and as refined in thinking as they are 
exquisite in diction. As specimens of pure and per- 
fect English they might stand as models. He op- 
poses with his pen, quietly but unresistingly, every 
measure which might lead to a disruption of the 
Union. In the defeats of the party, of which his 
journal is the acknowledged exponent, he never ad- 
mits himself discouraged, depressed, or dismayed, 
but from every fall seems to rise, like Antaeus, with 
renewed vigor. 

Such is a hasty sketch of the venerable chief 
editor of the chief organ of the Old Line Whig party. 
Whether we view him as the acute critic, as the fer- 
vid politician, as the high-minded and generous man, 
we have before us one of the ablest men of the day. 
The journal of which he is the acknowledged head 
wields a powerful and elevating influence throughout 
the entire country. 

And yet, reader, he has still higher honor in the 



220 



hearts of all the people about him. The poor and 
unfortunate are peculiarly his friends. He arrives 
in Seventh Street, from his residence in the country, 
in the same cozy,, close carriage which has made its 
journey thither daily for the last thirty years, so 
punctual to its hour that, were its driver and oc- 
cupant wanting, the horse would doubtless convey 
the vehicle in safety, and stop, from the force of 
habit, at the precise hour, before the low-roofed 
building. As he passes from his carriage to the 
office, the passing beggar for once ceases to be voci- 
ferous, so certain is he of receiving a spontaneous 
gratuity from him. Within he is quite likely to be 
met by the appeal of a widow with one of those 
large families of orphans, who feels certain of as- 
sistance from him. For, it is well known in our 
city, dear reader, that this venerable man is troubled 
with a melancholy cavity in his brain, where ac- 
quisitiveness is not! 

Narrow-hearted and parsimonious people shake 
their heads ominously, and say, that to see a man 
wasting his means on everybody in this way is enough 
to make the very stones cry out, ^' Doing such useless 
things and so much for other people — he ought to 
remember the 'rainy day!' " They forget that it is 
recorded of many great men that they were equally 
non-retentive of money. Schiller, when he had no- 
thing else to give away, gave the clothing from his 
back, and Goldsmith the blankets from his bed. 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 225 



lenting symptoms our belles have determined 
ahem ! 



Mr. Harris, principal editor and proprietor of the 
Union, presents to our eye a fine specimen of a 
"Virginia gentleman." 



LX. 

SOUTH CAROLINA EDITORS— MR. RHETT— EDITOR OF THE NEWS— 
YORKVILLE ENQUIRER. 

"Washington, October, 1857. 

We have been requested to give a " Sketch" of 
what our imagination suggested of the editorial fra- 
ternity of South Carolina, not one of whom we have 
ever seen, and we felt, therefore, fully qualified to 
comply with our friends' urgent request. Besides, 
what delicate compliments we could pay to each un- 
der cover of them all! Think of it, dear reader, 
the whole South Carolina editorial fraternity, all of 
their helpless selves placed upon paper ! Why, we 
almost fancy we see a simultaneous tossing of edito- 
rial heads and a careless shuffling of feet, as much 
as to say. Who cares ? 

We first got our scrap-book, with its red morocco 
doors, and compared the choice notices and poetical 
compliments to our pen emanating from this chi- 
valric State, and, as we read, we grew more senti- 



226 



mental, more gracefully insinuating — in sliort, more 
decidedly in the vein to bait tlie hook dropped 
through those editors' ears into their hearts. We 
commenced determinedly and perseveringly to give 
the preliminary flourish. Of course they are all 
handsome — that is certain. We know they are stand- 
ing on the very tip-toe of expectation to hear the 
many good things which must follow such a com- 
mencement. 

The senior editor of the Charleston Mercury we 
decide to be a noble-browed father of a family pos- 
sessing high intellectual endowments, and Mer- 
cury -ial only on the subject of State Rights^ with 
which he is as closely amalgamated as a Smyrna fig 
to its fellow fig in its drum. This gentleman's fidelity 
to the principles of the school he represents (known 
as the Barnwell Rhett School^ and of which his 
journal is the acknowledged organ,) renders him 
peculiarly obnoxious to Northern politicians, who 
seem to have set him up as a target for their shafts. 
There is an Arabian proverb, that people only throw 
stones at trees laden with fruit ! 

And the editor of the Charleston News, brother 
of the noble Southern Matron of the Mount Vernon 
Association; he who wrote that poetical description 
of a Storm at Sea, which dear darling Mr. Gales 
copied into the Intelligencer, and which we thought 
showed the exquisite texture of the writer's culti- 
vated mind ! He must have a high-bred air denoting 
his Carolina origin. 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 227 

And the poet-editor of the Yorhville Enquirer — 
another peep in the crimson-bound scrap-book ; his 
compliments are so poetical he must be a poet — we 
decide in our own mind that he must have such a 
white-browed, classic profile as never was seen, ex- 
cept in the Vatican, chipped and chiseled in ancient 
marble, and whom we imagine nestled in a cottage 
snuggled close in the bosom of some green slope, with 
a lovely woodland fairy, and who might claim the 
flowers as sisters for his companion. 

We feel sure that he must be the star of some se- 
lect circle, and when fame condescends now and then 
to waft to Washington the name of some rising young 
Carolinian^ we involuntarily ask if he is not the edi- 
tor of the Yorhville Enquirer. 

And the accomplished editor of the Spartanshurg 
Express, who penned that handsome notice of the 
Mercury's lady correspondent. Our imagination, 
striding off in seven-league boots, decide that he 
must be a stately six-footer, with a voice like the 
whisper of the south wind dallying with silver-lined 
blades of grass. 

And now, gentlemen, we beg, if these imaginative 
pictures are not correct, we beg and entreat that you 
will not dispel this delightful romance of our life. If 
you are not handsome and not poetical-looking, let 
us at least be in blissful ignorance of the fact. Do 
not crush our treasured romance at one blow, unless 
you wish us to leave a tear at the end of this sketch. 



228 LIFE IN WASHINGTON, AND 

LXI. 

THE CAPITOL AND ITS ROTUNDA. 

Washington, October, 1857. 

One of the most attractive objects to strangers 
visiting Washington, is that building so famihar to 
all residents — the Capitol. With a view to accom- 
modate the representatives of our rapidly growing 
country, this structure is stretching its cords and 
enlarging its boundaries, till the original edifice looks 
merely like the seed from which the rest has sprung. 
Whatever judgment may be passed upon the archi- 
tectural varieties of this building, its general effect is 
certainly grand and imposing. Much knowledge, 
much research, and much good taste are manifested 
in every part of the work. It would be no easy task 
to describe all the ins and outs, all the goings up and 
comings down, of this capacious edifice ; but there is 
not a single object in or about it which is not looked 
upon with pleasure and interest. 

There is hardly any spot within this huge fabric 
more suggestive than the Rotunda, a vast entrance- 
hall, whose sweeping walls are almost lined with 
paintings which float before the eye, group after 
group, in all their grandeur. Each picture excites 
associations; for every painting and every face is 
connected with some event in the early history of 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 229 

our country, all relating in some way or other to our 
struggles for independence. 

The Rotunda is generally peopled with strangers, 
though in all human probability not one out of a 
hundred of the visitors have any taste for art, or feel 
sufficient interest to enable them to examine the ex- 
planatory card appended to each frame. There is, 
however, no lack of gazers, such as they are ; and 
before these paintings, any fine day, may be seen 
toilets which would grace Broadway in its season of 
glory. Belles in very small bonnets, under the con- 
voy of fashionable cavaliers, stop confidently before 
these works of art, pitching their remarks and criti- 
cisms in that distressing key which Shakspeare cer- 
tainly did not refer to when he commends the gentle- 
ness of woman's voice. 

" Wier's Embarkation of the Pilgrims" is the most 
important, and considered, by those who are compe- 
tent judges, the finest in this collection. At first 
view it is a striking work, and bears study as a com- 
position. This picture is very popular, because it 
appeals to the feeling so quickly aroused in every 
American heart — a high and heroic determination to 
defend the holy cause of right ! We stand before it 
with reverence, for it summons from the dusty dead 
the shades of those glorious patriarchs who bore with 
them to our country that love of freedom and hatred 
of oppression which were the germs of the liberty we 
now enjoy. 

20 



230 LIFE IN WASHINGTON, AND 

In tlie centre kneels the grand feature of the pic- 
ture, the pastor of the embarking Pilgrims, with up- 
lifted hands, in the act of invoking God's blessing ; 
his spiritual countenance expressing solemnity of 
thought, and a determination to do all that God's in- 
spiration commands. The sombre face of Miles 
Standish, with his deep eyes and knitted brow, 
seems to menace revolutions yet to be. 

But while in these personages of the group 
are depicted stern purpose and daring, the women 
are trembling with emotion. An aged matron, with 
head slightly bent, clasps caressingly a helpless in- 
valid boy, whose pallid face and earnest eyes are 
cast far away heavenward. Another female figure, 
her face turned from us, seems weighed down with 
emotion. 

At the extreme right of the painting the surpass- 
ingly lovely face of Rose Standish, with its look of 
devotion, is visible. One hand rests confidingly on 
the shoulder of her kneeling husband. What a world 
of exquisite emotion is expressed in that lovely face ! 
What celestial refinement of ajBfection ! Sweet spirit ! 
so sanctified in our thoughts, that we scarcely dare 
to consider thee too deeply. As we gaze, we recall 
all thy meek endurance on the barren shores of Ply- 
mouth, the gradual wasting of the frail texture of 
thy young life. The sterile soil of New England 
holds thy sacred dust ; but what could compensate, 
to him who kneels beside thee, for thy loss ? In the 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 231 

after-turbulence of his unsettled life, was he not 
soothed, elevated, and cheered by an ethereal visit- 
ant from the heavens, who looked with a seraph's 
smile through the prison-bars of his iron life, point- 
ing to serener skies, opening to him fair glimpses of 
the beautiful beyond ? 

This picture may well stand as an excellent speci- 
men of the class to which it belongs ; and it is, though 
mute, an eloquent missionary. Situated as it is in 
the very heart of stirring and busy life, amid the 
fret and fever of political speculation, the careworn 
statesmen, passing and repassing those voiceless 
faces, may behold the secret of that success which 
attended the efforts of our forefathers — simple reli- 
ance on God! 

The headlong leader of a partisan warfare may 
glance upward at these mute figures, as he hurries to 
the arena of debate, and there learn a manifesto of 
principles which may serve as a banner around which 
the divided sections of his party may rally for con- 
quest. 

The Rotunda collection contains other paintings 
of much merit that appeal to our taste and love for 
the beautiful, but none that touch us in a similar 
manner with the one we have just been describing. 
"We might talk of the loveliness of "Pocahontas," 
painted by Chapman; of the beauty which hangs 
around Vanderlyn's "Landing of Columbus," as he 
plants his standard on the new-found soil with a so- 



232 



lemnitj of manner, a devout and humble worship of 
all that is around him. 

The "Discovery of the Mississippi," by Powel, a 
Western artist, is another picture in this collection. 
When we first looked at it, we confess we did not 
like it. The striking and eye-startling effect it pro- 
duced seemed to us far from artistic, in the highest 
degree theatrical, and exaggerated. But we come 
again to it, and again, repeating to our self the time 
it was intended to represent. It grows upon one, 
for, as we look at the picture, we can almost hear the 
loud shouts and huzzas of the exulting Spaniards. 
No language could tell as well the delight and joy of 
De Soto and his band on discovering the long-sought- 
for stream. 

The lamented Greenough's noble group is a work 
by a true artist, an expression of true artistic inspi- 
ration. The perfect moulding of the limbs, the ex- 
quisite proportion and harmony of all the parts, the 
surpassingly lovely face of the mother, render it 
more like a group assuming the aspect of marble, 
than solid forms hewn out of a rock. The counte- 
nance of the mother indicates the great yet silent 
feeling within. Her child is clasped, her lips apart, 
her head slightly turned aside, her breath suspended, 
in a listening attitude, as if she expected every mo- 
ment to hear again the stealthy tread of the savage, 
which her ear had caught a moment before. 

There is something more than the for7n of loveli- 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 233 

ness in that face. It is an expression of deathless 
affection, the most holy feeling in nature, a mother's 
love, given to the stone. 

The face of the hunter expresses the high purpose 
of calm thought and conscious superiority over his 
wily adversary. 

The Indian, also, is a noble figure, of magnificent 
proportions and wonderful muscular power. His 
face is working with rage and despair, and his power- 
ful frame wrought into intense action by the terrible 
energy within. 

Great perfection in anatomy and execution is ex- 
hibited in all the details of this work, and the entire 
group is a noble monument of modern genius. 



LXII. 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR— SECRETARY THOMPSON. 

Washington, October, 1857. 

Having occasion a few days since to call with a 
friend at the Department of the Interior^ we propose 
giving our distant readers a peep within this govern- 
ment pile — a building which forms a memento of the 
architecture in vogue during the days of the Hano- 
verian succession. 

We found standing before the marble portico of 
this stately structure a sombre equipage, which, al- 
20* 



234 LIFE IN WASHINGTON, AND 

though ungraced bj a single emblazonment be- 
speaking the position of its owner, was marked, by 
the beauty of its grays and the neatness of its ap- 
pointments, as belonging to some person of considera- 
tion, to say nothing of the impudence of the portly 
coachman, whose left limb was dangling over the 
corner of the dark-green hammercloth with an air 
of defiance that plainly bespoke them to be appurte- 
nances to an establishment of some six thousand a 
year. Stationed near this was a ponderous hack ; 
its broad-backed horses dozed over by a clumsy dri- 
ver, toward whom glances were ever and anon di- 
rected from the liveried groom, conveying a strong 
impression of disgust. 

A mysterious -looking middle-aged man, with 
speckled hose, who might have been taken for a 
messenger or a butler, answered the bell, turning the 
door upon its voiceless hinges, and circumspectly 
bidding us follow him, marched us forward with the 
stern perpendicularity of a policeman escorting a de- 
linquent. As we made our way along the vestibules, 
whose heavy, double-plied matting served to muffle 
all sound, we glanced in at an open door, where a 
gentleman sat upon a mahogany stool filing ofi" strips 
of paper on iron skewers. 

On we went, on and on, with tall wooden presses on 
either side extending from floor to ceiling, and filled 
with ponderous butf-leather quartos, {Land Records 
from vol. 1. to vol. ccxxvili.) No thin, delicate, and 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 235 

perfumed duodecimos were there, with costly en- 
gravings on steel, and letter-press in gilt. No, the 
huge volumes and the presses which contained them 
bore the severe air of practical utility. Many of 
them were fresh from the press, emitting that sickly 
odor of newly-boarded books and fresh paper, so dif- 
ferent from the pungent muskiness of the old bind- 
ings in the "Congressional Library." 

We were at last ushered into a spacious ante-room, 

with a whispered assurance that Mr. would see 

us shortly. The only occupants of the room were 
two gentlemen, one of whom, a middle-aged person, 
seemed to be a superintendent in his particular de- 
partment. From the purport of the conversation, 
we gathered that his gentlemanly and pleasant-look- 
ing companion was a new-comer, who had been 
thrown upon his hands, incompetent to put together 
the alphabet, or repeat the multiplication table with- 
out a blunder. This official was trying to teach his 
subordinate that business was business ; that they 
knew nothing there of ox-marrow and eau de Cologne. 
In a few moments they withdrew, closing the door 
as charily after them as if either they or us were 
laboring under a concussion of the brain. 

There exists in the "Washington world certain 
spots endowed with local sanctity of a peculiar kind. 
In government departments custom has for so many 
years moderated the movements and lowered the 



236 LIFE IN WASHfNGTON, AND 

voices of its employees, that any unusual elevation 
of tone seems to pass for a crime. 

We were now left to amuse ourselves in a room 
presenting few extraneous attractions ; a peep at a 
modest dwelling opposite, wliicli, though opposite, 
did not seem entitled to look its aristocratic vis-d-vis 
boldly in the face, but squinted obliquely at it, and 
the unceasing tingle of a bell, formed the sole en- 
livenment of our retreat. We examined the dark 
mahogany writing-table, spotted with much ink and 
indented with severe penmanship ; a scattered regi- 
ment of loose and unconnected pamphlets collected 
under paper weights of the choicest bronze, and 
printed envelopes, addressed by divers clerkly hands 
to the "Honorable Secretary." There were also 
what seemed to be dispatches from the "Executive 
mansion," marked "private and confidential." 

After the solitude of half an hour, our friend be- 
came quite fractious, and finally rushed to the bell- 
rope and rang. Now there are few better criterions 
of the state of a person's temper than their mode of 
ringing a bell, particularly in a public department, 
where they are generally hung on scientific principles. 
The vehement pull brought our friend, the "door 
opener," who, on his panting arrival, seemed to con- 
gratulate himself that the room was not on fire or 
the lady in a fainting fit. 

After a little straightforward chat, we discovered 
that he possessed considerable shrewdness. In poli- 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 237 

tics lie was a decided Democrat, had a great respect 
for the Old Line Whigs, and a perfect horror of the 
Black Republicans, whose leaders he pronounced 
men whose minds were in so advanced a state of de- 
composition that no sanatory commission would 
undertake to purify the atmosphere corrupted by 
their presence. 

While our friend, who had niched herself into an 
arm-chair, was perusing an old letter, which proved 
more amusing than our yea-nay conversation, a hur- 
ried rap announced that our reception was expected, 
and in another moment we were in the presence of 
Secretary Thompson, a mild, pleasing-looking man 
of some forty years, who made a polite and satis- 
factory apology touching the length of time we had 
been kept waiting. 

It is to be hoped that our courteous readers have 
formed no expectation of hearing the purport of our 
interview. The mysteries of Iris are not more rigidly 
sacred in our sight, and if it should ever chance to 
be betrayed to posterity, so indiscreet a revelation 
shall never be traced to our pages. 

We hear it repeatedly asserted that the most au- 
thentic types of human depravity and heartlessness 
are found in political life, among our public men. 
There are many who seriously believe that all the 
finer and better qualities of the heart become per- 
verted and destroyed in the corrupting influence of 
public life. For ourselves, we left this government 



238 



pile convinced of the error of sucli an opinion, with 
a fuller conviction than ever that we have men here 
— politicians — who make politics identical with lofty 
duties and great principles ; who sympathize with 
humanity wherever it struggles, and oppose whatever 
crushes the rights of their fellow-creatures. Without 
such men the nation has no greatness, for its signifi- 
cance and its power are in the moral worth of its 
public men. 



LXIII. 

CONGRESSIONAL LIBEARY. 

Washingtok, October, 1857. 

There is hardly any object in our city more sug- 
gestive, or more frequented, than the magnificent 
reading-room of the " Library of Congress," de- 
signed by the eminent architect, Mr. Walter. After 
ascending a wearisome flight of stone stairs leading 
to the Rotunda, a sliding door at the extreme end 
of a small gallery wheels noiselessly back, disclosing 
a softly carpeted room — grand, long and high — whose 
glass ceiling, veined by cornicing, fluting, and gar- 
lands, seems bright like burnished gold, mingled in 
wreaths of gilded leaves and lilies. 

When we paid our last visit we found it gayly peo- 
pled as usual; couches filled with groups conversing 
in the customary library undertone — which is a 



LIFE nERE AND THERE. 239 

drowsy murmur. In spite of the early hour, we 
saw in the various alcoves scores of mute readers, 
who sometimes lifted up a glance as we passed, and 
then, like Dante's ghosts, relapsed into their penance. 

Our eye fell upon several of the "habituds" of 
the place, timidly propitiating the attendants with 
small fragments of whispered conversation, listened 
to with impartial politeness — again glancing up from 
their books with visible discomfiture as some gayly 
dressed belle, in all the grace of fashionable cos- 
tume, floated up to the same attendant, (who is 
especially the good genius of female book-worms,) 
and begged to see some ponderous volume, which 
she carelessly turned over to the imminent peril 
of delicate lemon-colored gloves — grievously inter- 
rupting our elderly friend, who we have no doubt 
devoutly wished all female literati, and this one espe- 
cially, in some distant paradise not particularly 
specified. 

Dear readers be with us for a brief time, in these 
secluded alcoves, for they seem very nests for human 
thoughts. Stand reverently, for the voices of the 
dead are all about us. What hundreds of literary 
laborers have toiled upon the mental furniture of 
these walls — and many, ah, how many, that the 
world has never rewarded! All the struggles, the 
sorrows, and the cares which wait on those who work 
with hand and brain, alas ! for bread, unwinds itself 



240 LIFE IN WASHINGTON, AND 

as we gaze on the works of these dead patriarclis of 
thought. 

On one shelf the Memoir of Chatterton meets our 
eye. We see this wonderful boy; we behold his 
proud spirit, conscious of great powers, cut off from 
household ties. We turn to his last works, wrung 
forth for bread. Then the catastrophe, the poison, 
the suicide, the manuscript torn by the hands of de- 
spair and death, and strewed around the corpse — 
nothing in literature like that life and that death ! 

Beside this memoir, whose associations are so 
tragic, rests Goldsmith's immortal novel. Its tender 
incidents, its pathos and its comedy, its exquisite 
fireside pictures of perfect beauty, come back to us 
to show that patience in suffering, that persevering 
reliance on the providence of God, that quiet labor 
and an indulgent forgiveness of the faults and infir- 
mities of others, are the certain means of happiness 
in this world, and teaching us also that the heroism 
and self-denial needed for the duties of life are not 
of the superhuman sort — that they may coexist with 
with many faults. 

To Mr. Meehan and his polite assistants, the ladies 
are indebted for many pleasant hours in this delight- 
ful resort. 

The announcement of Judge Nicholson's election 
as United States Senator from Tennessee, has been 
received here with marked pleasure. The high per- 
sonal character of this gentleman, had, during a 
residence of four years in our city, as chief editor 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 241 

of the Union, won the esteem and regard of a wide 
circle of friends. The social circles of our city 
have also received a charming addition from the 
same State, in the family of the Postmaster-Gene- 
ral. The interesting daughter of this gentleman 
was our first love — "New Administration" loves we 
mean. 



LXIV. 

OPENING OF THE SESSION— MR. BENTON— THE CENTRAL AMERICA. 

Washington, November, 1857. 

The familiar faces of many of the old members — 
those from the North in fur coats, built as if for an 
Arctic expedition — are making their appearance on 
our streets, while the new member is not less easily 
distinguished among the crowd. 

It is a remarkable circumstance that the transition 
from the population to the legislation, from the taxer 
to the taxee, produce a much greater change in me- 
diocre men than in those whose qualifications are of 
a nature to attract the attention and admiration of 
the nation. Clay, Calhoun, or Webster, may have 
been scarcely conscious of this change in their state, 
for whether represented or representing, their emi- 
nence was unquestionable. But the change produced 
in the tone of an ordinary man by the letters Hon, 
preceding his name is unmistakable. The new 
21 



242 LIFE IN WASHINGTON, AND 

member at home and the new member at Washing- 
ton are different men. A month hence it •will require 
personal indorsement to the certificates of newspaper 
reports to enable his constituents to conceive the 
colossal proportions of the Representative who left 
them so mere a pigmy. Sere he is not compelled to 
render a daily account to his constituents of the use 
of his five senses. Sere he is a 'public man I and 
everybody is his most obedient servant. If single, 
brilliant belles, whose near-sightedness had disabled 
them a year ago to discern an obscure young man, 
when in moping attendance on some country cousin, 
are now lynx-eyed in their recognition. 

Many of these incipient "Hon's." are already 
concocting their maiden speeches. Reams of rough 
drafts are passing through the hands of some scribe 
of all work, who is crossing t's and dotting i's of a 
speech, which, in the mind's eye of the ''Right Hon.," 
is already beheld in the columns of the G-lobe, and 
duly dispatched per mail for the edification of his 
particular district. This "maiden speech" may es- 
tablish for him a species of reputation. He may be 
called in New York journals "that rising young 
member," nay, "that distinguished young member," 
and become consequently enamored of himself, and 
will consider it due to his reputation to give political 
dinners, frequented by certain self-styled great men, 
who will drink his champagne, and, when his back is 
turned, laugh at him. 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 243 

Many of the new members' wives arrive here look- 
ing like a last year's number of the Journal des 
Modes, and entertaining an extremely philosophical 
contempt for the pomps and vanities of Washington 
life. But they very soon begin to experience an 
interest in the minutiae of female existence as it 
passes here. They soon discover that the finery 
which had worn the newest gloss of novelty at home 
is obsolete here ; that their waist is too short, their 
dress too long, and their fringed mantillas the Wash- 
ington chambermaids have thrown away these three 
months. In short, after a morning's round, they are 
satisfied that they will disgrace their friends by their 
appearance, till they have humanized their barba- 
rous home-fashions. . -^ 

Several days are then spent at the counters of our 
leading stores ; until that is passed, the ''new mem- 
ber's" lady is a dead letter — an inadmissible im- 
propriety, who can neither receive nor pay visits. 
By the time she has purchased a few new dresses at 
"Perry's," (the obliging clerks saving her the de- 
grading detail of knowing how many yards it requires 
to make her endurable,) replenished her card-case 
at Phipp's, and her trimmings and fringes at Mrs. 
Lowe's flourishing establishment, she finds herself in 
that elation of spirits which a first week passed in 
the metropolis is apt to infuse into a person whose 
head is minus the organ of acquisitiveness and whose 
pocket is garnished with a well-filled purse. ^"^^ 



244 LIFE IN WASHINGTON, AND 

The Cabinet receptions of the new Administration 
will commence much earlier than those of their prede- 
cessors. The wealth of the present Cabinet, and their 
elegant style of living, leave our gayety lovers to 
anticipate these soirees with great eagerness. From 
the preparation of costume, one would suppose they 
were to equal those gorgeous/(?^es of Versailles, whose 
golden waste proved the means of sapping the foun- 
dations of the ancient monarchy of France. 

Mr. Benton appeared at Church last Sabbath, for 
the first time since his severe illness. His appearance 
is saddening, and his evident debility affecting to 
witness. The country will, we fear, not long have 
the benefit of his equitable heart and fine intellect. 
The hand of skill is doing its best to retard the evil, 
but his country must ere long be deprived of a de- 
voted servant. 

The public mind here is no longer agitated with 
heart-rending accounts of the loss of life on the Cen- 
tral America. The interest which hung over that 
awful desolation — the interest to which so many 
hearts flowed out with painful sympathy — seems 
(except in a limited circle) to have passed away. 

Ah! gentle, saddened, weary-hearted wives, all 
widowed in a night ! Oh ! if we could look into 
those homes whose blank windows and closed doors 
wear so sad an aspect ! The solemn, weary nights 
adding the awe of darkness and the solemnity of 
loneliness to their sorrows, with fearful dreams of a 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 245 

ship drifting over the ocean, struggling to save them- 
selves ; the roar of the winds and the mountain bil- 
lows in their ears ! Who may speak the anguish of 
such dreams ? God alone sees the fullness of their 
sorrow. 



LXV. 

SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTE LECTURES-JOHN B. GOUGH. 

Washington, November, 1857. 

The citizens of Washington have had an intellect- 
ual banquet spread for them in the series of lectures 
recently delivered at the Smithsonian Institution. 
Those of that great apostle of temperance, Mr. John 
B. Gough, were a coveted and exquisite portion. Mr. 
G. is still young, and seems younger even than he is, 
from his slight, spiritual appearance. 

It was a moment that might well have dazzled his 
senses, when he arose before an immense concourse 
of the proudest intellects our country can boast — 
who had assembled at the Institution to welcome him. 
There was a hush like the silence of the tomb, as 
the inspiration of his spirit passed over the audience, 
and each listener suspended his breath lest even that 
should drown tones so replete with eloquence. We 
wish we could do justice to his lecture ; but it is past 
our power. We cannot even render faithfully the 
effect it produced upon us. 
21* 



246 LIFE IN WASHINGTON, AND 

He had not spoken five minutes before all tlie 
passions of the assembly were as much under his 
control as the keys of the instrument are under the 
hands of the musician. One moment he would look 
all around him with an air of the most delighted hon- 
hommie^ — exactly like a witty child who is about to 
accomplish a piece of successful mischief, — and re- 
late a felicitous anecdote with a humor so caustic 
and original that the audience were convulsed with 
laughter. Then suddenly changing his manner, his 
eye became fixed on the crowd ; his tones grew so- 
lemn, his color rose, and from laughter he hurried 
his hearers to the pathos of tears, as with thrilling 
eloquence he painted the beginning and the results 
of intemperance as they darken in the midst of city 
life. He showed us the Tempter, as he throws out 
his earliest lures, sitting in the radiant circle of 
fashion, attended by wit and beauty and social delight. 
He unclosed the gay apartments where youth takes 
its first draught. He traced it from its source under 
glittering chandeliers, laid bare its channel, and let us 
see to its very depths. We stood upon the very rim 
of the great whirlpool; we heard the groans that came 
up from its abyss ; its domestic desolation, its reck- 
less sweep over all order and sanctity. 

He unroofed the inebriate's dwelling, and burst 
upon his weeping hearers with the story of its deso- 
lation ! He showed us homes where misery and 
wretchedness brood continually — with starvation by 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 247 

the hearth and death at the door. He told the 
heroic histories, and unwritten poetry, inscribed on 
these walls ; the unknown greatness, the love strong 
as death, the sacrifice deep as the grave, the lonely 
wrestlings with sorrow, to rescue beloved objects. 
We saw children with the shadow of an experience 
upon them that had made them preternaturally old. 
Woman discharging her daily office, keeping her 
heavenward look, and love presenting its offering. 

Yes, dear reader, we saw before us martyrs — 
not deadj but living martyrs ! In dim attics and 
cellars, ay, in sumptuous dwellings ; we saw wives, 
and mothers, and sisters, exercising a heroism, in 
the endurance of suffering, that makes dim and pale 
the trophies that are plucked from fields of war. We 
heard the cry of pained hearts, we saw the quivering 
features and the blistering tears of those who yet 
live and suffer — martyrs without the palm ! 

With wizard-like eloquence he suddenly unrolled 
a new firmament all spangled over with orbs of bril- 
liancy and beauty. He pointed to it as the tempe- 
rance reformation — a remedy that could make safe 
and strong those recesses out of which issue so much 
social evil — a remedy that would send the poor ine- 
briate to a renovated home, and cause little rescued 
children to sing thankful hymns. 

Then with the true power of genius he apostro- 
phized water in all its forms of beauty, drawing a 
picture delicate as the subtlest dream. How simple 



248 LIFE IN WASHINGTON, AND 

and clear he made this element of temperance, and yet 
how mighty ! At one moment it spoke in whispers 
of the softest melody, and then awoke the echoes of 
the world with its Niagara roar. He made it play 
round the globe in untamed liberty ! We saw brooks 
and rivers go dancing down the mountain, and 
through the broad plains. Seas and oceans tossed 
their spray, and rolled their tides in unwearied en- 
joyment of unrestrained motion. We saw streams 
totter down the defiles of their lofty home, with many 
a tumble and dreadful fall, making their way through 
hoary forests, and through valleys filled with caves 
and haunted glens. We saw quiet nooks, where they 
rested in their course, decked with diamonds. We 
saw their sleeping-places in mines of gold and silver, 
to which greedy man was not admitted. 

He made the progress of this transparent element 
that of an all-conquering king. The mountains 
opened, the valleys retired, and the deep-seated forests 
gave way before it. Everywhere, as it advanced, 
the shores bent into graceful curves to welcome its 
approach. Then he made it pour forth such a tor- 
rent of music as would make the fingers of Jael ache 
in the despair of imitation. We heard the anthem 
of the river, and the melody of ten thousand little 
waterfalls singing as they glide. The billows of the 
ocean performed their parts in all sorts of time, and 
yet there was as perfect harmony in its swelling 
thunder as in the wild frolics of its lesser playmates. 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 249 

The song of the river, and the lullaby of the water- 
fall, were in our ears. 

With indescribable eloquence, and with a trium- 
phant glee, he poured out this glorious tribute upon 
the altar of temperance, conveying the strongest im- 
pression we ever received of genius rejoicing over 
its own bright creation. He was not a mere orator ; 
he was a Pygmalion ; his Promethean hand had stolen 
the sacred fire, and he scattered it with a profusion 
which left a spark on every heart. 

An awe came upon us ; we seemed to stand face to 
face with one whose wings were already growing, al- 
ready stirring with the air that comes to bear them 
to the unseen world. When he ceased, that vast 
concourse arose and walked away in subdued silence. 

Go on, apostle of temperance ! gather thy jewels 
about thee, as thou art gathering them now, thy set- 
ting will be one of unsurpassed glory ; and at the 
last day, wives, and mothers, and sisters, whose loved 
ones have been redeemed, shall rise up and call thee 
blessed ! 



LXVI. 

ENTERTAINMENT AT GOV. BROWN'S. 

Washington, Jaxuakt, 1858. 

The most brilliant and recherchS entertainment 
ever given in our city came oiF last week at 



250 



the residence of the Postmaster- General, Hon. A. 
V. Brown, of Tennessee. When we entered the 
house, an elegant mansion, formerly occupied by the 
French Minister, we saw, at a glance, that the com- 
pany ^composed the elite of Washington. Every 
person of note in the metropolis seemed to have 
crowded together to give lustre to- this fete. The 
almost regal ball-room, a spacious and lofty apart- 
ment to the left of the entrance hall, was lined with 
superb mirrors, extending from floor to ceiling, and 
divested of furniture to make room for the dancers, 
who were moving to the music of a fine band, swell- 
ing in those long, delicious chords which impara- 
dise the moment and make life all poetry. In the 
drawing-rooms opposite, those who declined dancing 
might retire, and find cushioned lounges, chairs of 
any angle of inclination, suggested by the fancy of 
indolence and ease, and jardinieres bright with 
flowers from the hot-house of the Executive mansion. 
In the centre of these rooms stand the host, hostess, 
and daughter, occupying the post of receiving. 

Mrs. B., an elegant-looking woman, is dressed 
in rose-colored brocade, with an exquisite resem- 
blance of lace stamped in white velvet, on either side 
a "point-lace" cape; a head-dress whose fleecy white- 
ness rivaled the snow, soft as down, with ornaments 
few and tastefully arranged, completed her attire. 

But it is the lovely girl by her side we wish to draw 
your attention to, as she receives with engaging sweet- 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 251 

ness the salutation^ of her mother's guests. A 
white tissue embroidered in moss-rose buds of the 
most elegant description, a circlet of pearls on her 
hair, and natural flowers on her bosom, present' an 
appropriate and beautiful contrast to her mother's 
more elaborate and gorgeous toilet. 

The charm of Miss S. is her simplicity of charac- 
ter, of all qualifications, the most acceptable in the 
highly artificial society of Washington. A life of 
peace and happiness is unfolded in the serenity of 
her placid features. This sweet girl performs on the 
harp beautifully, with arms white as those Yenus 
might have lifted above the sea- foam, and little pink- 
tipped fingers, so delicate and taper that one feels it 
is marvellous how they can pinch the cords so as to 
produce such full-sounding pleasant notes as they 
do. Young, lovely, and an heiress. Like Elizabeth 
of old, whichever way she turns people will assume 
an attitude of devotion. Her fortune will insure 
her suitors of various countries ; but we have no 
fear that she will become dizzy from such an exuber- 
ance of income. 

About twelve o'clock we passed from the drawing- 
rooms to the ball-room, and, from our post of obser- 
vation, we propose to point out to our distant friends 
the various celebrities. Come, then, take a seat in 
this quiet nook, where the lights fall softly, and you 
shall have no reason to complain of the dullness of 
your "cicerone." 



252 LIFE IN WASHINGTON, AND 

Note that massive head resting against the crim- 
son curtain, receiving the light on a spotless white 
neckcloth. The waves of gray hair show a solid 
mass of intellectual organs which express energy, 
decision, and will. As we contemplate this majestic 
figure, towering ahove the surrounding crowd, we 
feel persuaded some still more auspicious destiny is in 
store for this gentleman. Sir Gore Ouseley. As we 
look at him, the "all hail! Macbeth, that shall be 
king hereafter," of the weird women of Fores, comes 
to our lips. 

Look again ! Note that figure in white, with head- 
dress of scarlet honeysuckle ; she seems quite at 
home amid all this gayety, and yet not like one 
whose heart is in it very deeply. The sweet 
cordiality of her manners is balanced by a cer- 
tain native dignity that seems to infuse into every- 
thing about her something superior, something pure, 
serene, and refining. England has reason to be 
proud of this her fair representative. Lady Napier, 
who, in a distant land, is winning all hearts by the 
sweet, womanly attributes of her character, lending 
a grace to her high position by never seeming to 
lose sight of her happy fireside and domestic pur- 
suits. 

Standing near Lady N., you may see Lady Ouseley, 
in one of Madame Ferrere's exquisite head-dresses, 
surmounted by two superb diamonds. 

Mark the gentleman of slight figure, who seems 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 253 

to avoid observation. To him is given the talisman to 
unlock the portals of nature and read truths in the 
flowers, unseen by common eyes. An angel within 
bathes him, at times, with inspiration, and when he 
feels the enfolding clasp of these invisible beings, 
wings glance, waters sparkle, stars smile, and leaves 
rustle. Tho green earth, with its jewel-work of 
flowers and rosy clouds, all bow to him; the sun, 
and the moon, and the silvery twilight, and the 
waters, and the breezes, and the silent dews, — 
everything on earth brightens at his touch. This 
gentleman is the English poet, Dr. Charles Mackay, 
of London. If the reader run away with the idea 
that he is an imposing man, he will be curiously 
misled. It is the fault of language that it cannot 
convey manner, so that the term "imposing," ap- 
plied to one so unpretending and so unassuming, 
would be ill applied. To those whose tastes have 
been kept pure, who can distinguish truth, there 
is an indefinable charm in the quiet simplicity of 
his direct and truthful bearing. 

The fine-looking man, whose person glitters with 
foreign orders, is Comte de Sartiges, a matchless 
diplomat, who is said to coquette with our negotia- 
tions as Mr. Crampton did with Secretary Marcy. 
Madame S. is dressed in white-embroidered crape, 
with flowers of light-green spray. 

A little farther on we see the financial world re- 
presented in the person of Mr. Baring, the great 
22 



254 LIFE IN WASHINGTON, AND 

London banker, whose appearance on "'cliange," like 
Rothschild's, produces a rise in stocks. 

Miss , of Mississippi, niece of the Secretary 

of the Interior, is here, with her spiritual face. 
There is no brilliancy, no contrast ; classical, color- 
less. The pale-red of the small mouth ; the liquid 
hazel of the passionate eyes ; the soft brown of her 
hair, all melting into one harmony of tint, like a 
fair Italian picture. 

And we see, also. Miss , daughter of the At- 
torney-General. Happy face ! a sweet girl who would 
make the sunshine of a poet's home, the ideal of an 
artist's dream. 

Like the spectre in the ''Walpurgis NachtJ" this 
brilhant scene seemed to exhibit to every one the 
ideal of his love. A member of the Russian lega- 
tion assured us that he fancied himself at St. Peters- 
burg. The lady of Senator Slidell, in a Russian 
court-dress, certainly supported the illusion. An- 
other, who had passed a year in Paris, declared that 
the whole thing reminded him of the Tuileries. 

The attire of Mrs. S. consisted of a coquettish 
crimson velvet cap, trimmed with rich lace and 
ostrich feathers, and black velvet dress, the little 
jacket of which was trimmed with gray fur of the 
most light and aerial description. 

At about nine o'clock the guests passed from the 
heated ball-room into the cool interior of the supper- 
room. We might speak of the elegance and magni- 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 255 

ficence displayed in the arrangements, and the more 
than epicurean daintiness of the delicacies succes- 
sively placed before them. In the centre of the 
table stood a monster "bouquet," composed entirely 
of japonicas and the rarest hot-house flowers, and 
reaching half way to the ceiling. Among the orna- 
ments of the table was one which elicited general 
admiration. It was the exact imitation of a mam- 
moth "nest," containing two harnessed swans, driven 
by a man. This exquisitely poetical ornament, com- 
posed of the finest sugar, and spotlessly white, was 
from " Gautier's" establishment. All our citizens 
unite in pronouncing this elegant entertainment as 
surpassing, in richness and elegance of dress, in the 
distinction of its guests from all nations, and in the 
sumptuous repast, any that has been ever previously 
given in Washington, if not in this country. 



LXVII. 

CHILD'S FANCY PARTY. 

WASHiXGToy, Jaxxjart, 185S. 

"Come early, only a child's party!" our friend 
responded, at parting ; and we finished preparations, 
and reached the house by eight o'clock. We found 
the dressing-room in a hum and bustle of excite- 
ment. Children of all sizes, — from the little aproned 



256 



chap, hardly yet from the nursery, up to the merry 
girl of fourteen, — were twisting their curls, adjusting 
their braids, and shaking out tiny embroidered hand- 
kerchiefs, from which delicate perfumes were wafted. 
In the drawing-room we found a number of papas 
and mammas who formed a distinct circle by them- 
selves, — the gentlemen discoursing of the lately- 
formed committees, the latter of Madame Delarue's 
last opening. 

With a burst of sound that made us start, a band, 
stationed in an ante-room, commenced a most be- 
witching measure, which acted like magic on the 
swarming little crowd above stairs. Groups came 
pouring in, hurrying hither and thither, finding part- 
ners, finding places, with all the stir and conse- 
quence of older people. Each child appeared in 
fancy costume, many having correct conceptions of 
the characters they represented, depicting them with 
much truth and humor. 

A graceful girl of twelve, with brown hair and 
bright eyes, was enveloped in the velvet coif and 
pearly carcanet of the beautiful Mary of Scotland ; 

while darling little Blanche was elevated, by 

the most sublime cork-heels that ^'Mieman" could 
manufacture, into the semblance of a pigmy " Cleo- 
patra." 

Harry , a school rowdy of the first water, 

who puts a broken chair in the place of a whole one 
for the benefit of his teacher, was periwigged and 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 257 

grand cordon-ed into a courtier of the time of Louis 
XIV. To see the air of consequence with which he 
passed through a whole troop of "babies," as he 
contemptuously denominated a respectable class of 
little people, who waged on him an uncompromising 
war! Sometimes they managed to pin scraps of 
paper to his satin-slashed coat ; it was beautiful to 
see the courtly air with, which these were removed, 
without the slightest abatement of dignity, as though 
he disclaimed all association below the level of a 
palace. 

Reader, we shall hear something of this lad one of 
these days. He may grow up to write a Pendennis, 
or become Judge Advocate. 

There was a miracle of a little teacher — a mimic 
schoolmistress, with a vein of sober wisdom such as 
might have become Mrs. Elizabeth Carter — who 
seemed fully competent to take charge of her half 
dozen A B C-darians. She tried to look demure ; 
but beautiful were the dimples that would trip across 
her face in spite of its assumed soberness. As well 
might you look for dignity in a humming-bird or a 
fawn, as in bewitching, roguish Ida — the darling ! 
Ah, Ida is a sad romp ! It is a hard thing to say of 
her, but her mamma says it, and shakes her head 
the while, and her brother says it, and spreads open 
his arms for his pet to spring into ; and all her little 
friends say it, and declare, with softened faces and 
22* 



258 LIFE IN WASHINGTON, AND 

gentle voices, that she is good for nothing but — to 
love. 

There was one little fellow in a tartan jacket and 
trowsers and a Highland cap, the incongruities of 
which would have made Glasgow hide its head under 
its plaidie. Poor child ! he was evidently not at 
home in the character, for he twisted himself into as 
many shapes as a cloud-wreath in a tempest ; thrust 
his hands in his pockets, then took them out; first 
smiled, then looked grave ; he had, in fact, all the 
appearance of a painfully shy child. Our little 
schoolmistress seemed so sorry that the Highlander 
was not at ease. At one point we saw the bright 
little creature balance herself on her toes; her 
chubby arms stole softly around his waist, and, 
bending her neck, she put up a pair of fresh red 
lips, with the daintiness of a bird, and (would you 
believe it ?) actually kissed the little fellow to re- 
assure him. A few moments after she was patiently 
going through the A B C-dom of the baby-frock 
gentry, kissing one, patting another, coaxing a third, 
and then, with what a matronly air she bade the tiny 
loiterers go directly home ! 

A bright boy of ten appeared as a miniature edition 
of a Broadway dandy ; the spotless pantaloons, the 
white vest, with a chain and heavy bunch of charms 
spread over it, the faultless neck-tie and tiny gold 
studs, and a pair of "Bajou's" gloves of the faintest 
primrose-hue. He appeared to have, every now and 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 259 

then, a spasm of exulting surprise as the idea oc- 
curred to him of his present position. He bit his 
pink lips ; stamped his patent-leathers ; ran his 
hand distractedly through his hair, fresh from 
"Gibb's" curling-irons, and benignly waved his 
Honiton-edged handkerchief on the tips of his ex- 
quisitely gloved fingers. And the easy assurance, 
the elegant nonchalance, the *' die-away-air," which 
is the distinguishing mark of an eighteenth-century 
dandy, he depicted to the life. 

"Six bunches for a fip ! six for a fip ! flowers! 
flowers!" How deliciously sweet was that voice! 
Fathers paused from their worldly discussion of the 
profoundly-interesting Kansas embroglio, as those 
clear, touching tones fell on their ears. A little 
barefooted girl, with a patched calico frock, tripped 
along, holding up her flowers with a winning, plead- 
ing, heavenly smile. In spite of her coarse and 
homely clothing and lowly occupation, her manner, 
her step, her expression, the very tones of her voice 
unconsciously betrayed our little orphan pet, of 
whom, dear reader, we have made mention before. 
There is a kind of halo around this child which we 
could recognize anywhere. 

This joyous troop of juveniles, before eleven 
o'clock arrived, were resigned into the hands of 
servants in waiting, and in a little while were, we 
have no doubt, soundly sleeping. 

Pity that we cannot always be children ! 



260 



LXVIII. 

ENTERTAINMENT AT GOVERNOR FLOYD'S. 

Washington, January, 1858. 

Dear, distant reader, we are now seated, pen in 
hand, before a sheet of foolscap, with the ambitious 
design of conveying on paper some idea of the re- 
cTierchS and brilliant reception which came off a few 
evenings since at the residence of the Secretary of 
War, Grov. Floyd. 

As we approached the house, an unusual degree of 
stirring and bustle was perceptible ; private equi- 
pages and public hacks depositing their inmates, in 
full array, at the door. Light steps ascended the 
hall stairs, and there was a tripping through the 
rooms, and soft cheerful laughs. The dressing-room 
was in a ferment ; waiting-maids darting from one to 
another with an air of great importance. And such 
wreathing of arms, and fluttering of muslins, and 
waving of curls, and flashing of eyes ! 

A joyous stir was audible when we entered the 
large and well-proportioned drawing-room ; gentle- 
men's deep tones and ladies' silvery accents blending 
harmoniously together. In the brilliant throng were 
officers of the army and navy in full uniform ; diplo- 
matic stars of almost every court in Europe ; dia- 
monds, as if gathered in masses from the valley of 
Sinbad. 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 261 

At the entrance door, Mrs. F. and daughter 
occupied the post of receiving ; the former, a ladj 
in the noon of life, with hair parted smoothly, and 
brow serene as a summer morning. She seemed 
misplaced among that sparkling crowd, for this ladj 
is one who presents to our eye a type of the quiet, 5. 
serene excellence of women ; one of that class who 
hold aching heads, and bathe hot temples, and kiss 
away pain, and sit and watch while others sleep ; 
one who, when trouble comes, tries to make it light, 
and helps to find all happy things to weigh against it. 

Mrs. Hughes, a young wife, and daughter of the 
host, in a white embroidered muslin dress, a wreath 
of laurel-leaves encircling her hair, and a bright 
smile, giving animation to a fine dark eye and clear 
brunette complexion. Her little daughter, with a 
dimpled face and glossy, golden curls, was decidedly 
the belle of the evening ; passing lovingly from knee 
to knee, questioned by all in succession with a view 
of eliciting the treasures of a spirit bright as the 
s ouls of children ever are. Healy ought to add this 
child's exquisite head to his collection of sketches. 

Dear, distant reader, do you feel a desire to join 
us in this gay scene ? Come, then, sweet friend, 
whatever name thou bearest, come, take a stand with 
us here, where a soft perfume of flowers is percep- 
tible, and the light falls softly. In the centre of 
the room are grouped some four or five gentlemen, 
engaged in a conversation deeper than the usual 



262 LIFE IN WASHINGTON, AND 

bubble. We recognize the centre figure at once. 
That stern face and stately form indicates that what 
he says is law ; his very step has a quarter-deck 
brevity and decision, as if he were forever about to 
issue a command. This gentleman (Gen. Scott) is 
in full uniform. The slight figure of the young offi- 
cer at his side is that of Major Calhoun, son of the 
great statesman. Not far from the last named, the 
chandelier throws its cheerful light upon the warm, 
genial face of Dr. Mackay, the English poet, his 
countenance sufi'used with the florid glow of health. 

Here, too, is a girlish figure in white, with no orna- 
ments except a pair of exquisite pearl earrings. This 
is Miss G., a young granddaughter of the late Fa- 
ther Ritchie, of this city. But this is only a partial 
introduction into society, a peeping out rather than 
a coming out. Her face is illuminated with a smile, 
such as that ancient and honorable family have rarely 
displayed among all its generation of dimples. The 
lady at her side, with traces of much beauty, is 
the wife of Capt. Goldsborough, of the Navy, and 
daughter of the distinguished William Wirt. 

Here comes a thin, slight figure, the shoulders con- 
tracted and drawn in, and the face striking, with sharp 
angular features. We wonder what specific purpose 
he (Mr. Seward) has in visiting the camp of the Phi- 
listines ! An amiable desire, we presume, to thaw 
the mass of ice that disunites the North and South, 
which he probably hopes to render a confluent stream. 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 263 

Near the last gentleman we see a reputed heiress 
from one of our Northern cities, to whom, it is ru- 
mored, Mr. (excuse the initials) is to be united 

shortly. It is a matter of pedigree against pence, 
pounds against precedence. In our country of shop- 
keepers a little gold becomes necessary once in a 
century to assist in emblazoning the escutcheon of 
decaying families, where there is neither a coal-pit 
nor a gold-mine on the family estate. 

Prominent in the throng we see Lady Gore Ouse- 
ley's expressive face and engaging manners, and near 
by the queenly figure of the wife of the Russian 
Minister, conversing in French with one of the Le- 
gation. Here, too, we see the estimable nephew of 
the President, (Mr. Buchanan Henry,) who has, ac- 
cording to private report, contributed several fine 
paintings to the Philadelphia Academy of Fine Arts, 
and who is said to possess quite enough talent in that 
line to justify the warm anticipation of his friends 
that he can become something higher and better than 
a mere political partisan. 

Here, too, we see an eminent lawyer from Ken- 
tucky, (Col. Carpenter,) but more recently an active 
and influential politician from Illinois. Handsome, 
a ripe scholar who seems to have traveled much, he 
has already earned for himself the name of a rising 
man, that most auspicious of all names to a political 
aspirant. 

About eleven o'clock we were ushered into the 



264 



supper-room by a gentleman of color, a man of digni- 
fied deportment and mature years, who had all his 
life waited upon F. F. Y.'s with great credit to him- 
self. He fully sustained his high reputation on this 
occasion, for seldom have we beheld a more elegantly- 
prepared table, with pyramids and towers of choice 
bon-bons, and huge bouquets of the rarest hot-house 
flowers, which made the air heavy with fragrance. 

Conspicuous among the gentlemen, towering in 
height far above most of them, was Capt. Meigs, 
whose name is identified with the Capitol of our 
country. His superior management and compre- 
hensive mind is rapidly bringing that great work to 
successful completion. Capt. M.'s manners are quiet 
and unpretending, and he would be singled out in all 
society as a highly interesting person. 

And now, dear reader, good-night, for the nib of 
our pen is dull, and our eyes are trying to hide them- 
selves behind pairs of fringes which are nearing each 
other for an embrace. 



LXIX. 

SENATE-CHAMBER— MR. DAVIS. 

Washington, January, 1858, 



The "Lecompton Constitution," with the Mes- 
sage of the President, was sent into both Houses in 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 265 

the beginning of this week, and since that time wrang- 
ling and anarchy have been as much a national pas- 
time as in the days of the Goths and Vandals. The 
first year of Mr. Buchanan's administration will be 
inscribed on the page of history in rather dark colors, 
for the representatives of the Northern sections of 
this glorious country of God's making and of Christ's 
civilizing, are unanimous only in sending up as a sa- 
crifice to heaven a dissevered Union. With reckless 
ambition they are shattering those party organiza- 
tions which would tend to heal and tranquilize the 
public mind. They pretend to believe that when the 
main columns supporting this great Union are for- 
cibly withdrawn, the vast pile may still bear itself 
aloft. What is it to them that our forefathers have 
fought, and bled, and died on battle-fields that they 
might enjoy this freedom — this consciousness of a 
sacred individuality! 

We honestly believe there are men here, who, to 
accomplish their selfish ends, would, if it were al- 
lowed, practice the defiance of every law, human and 
divine, which, in former times, filled the ice-house of 
Avignon with dead, and defiled the waves of the Seine 
with corpses. 

On Monday last the House and Senate galleries 
were thronged to their utmost capacity, the *^ wordy 
war" of Friday night having produced intense ex- 
citement throughout the city. Mr. addressed 

23 



166 



tlie Senate in a speech of some two hours, in which 
he did not seem satisfied with driving the South out 
of Kansas, but banished the whole section out of the 
Union. This gentleman, though a man of good 
abilities, is far from a phenomenon. He might make 
a respectable stand on the stump in the West ; his 
speech at a country meeting on the cut-and-dried 
theme of anti-slavery, might find its w^ay into the 
County Chronicle. Abuse of the Administration was 
one of the principal ingredients in his eloquence, 
and a joke on the dissolution of the Union ended his 
speech. 

On closing, a slender figure on the other side 
of the Chamber arose. During the progress of 
Mr. 's speech a general look of popular restless- 
ness seemed to pervade the dense mass crowding the 
gallery, but the first sentence of his successor was 
the signal for profound silence and the fixing of 
every eye upon the speaker. Since the days of Mr. 
Clay, we have never heard any one so powerfully 
rivet the attention of the spectators as this gentle- 
man, (Mr. Jefferson Davis.) It is scarcely an ex- 
aggeration to say that his keen eye literally blazed 
as he poured forth a torrent of withering sarcasm 
and crushing invective. 

This burst of eloquence, this torrent of oratory, 
sparkling and flashing, did not last more than thirty 
minutes. For ourselves, during that period, the pre- 
sence of Mr. Clay seemed to once more fill our eye ; 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 26T 

his beautifully modulated voice again sounded in our 
ears. 

We think a cool criticism will place Mr. Davis 
nearer to Mr. Clay than any speaker in the Senate. 
He has much of that lamented Senator's purity and 
flow of style, richness of imagination and graceful 
elocution. 

This gentleman has, by the splendor of his talents, 
raised himself to an eminence of consideration, not 
only in the public position he fills, but throughout 
the entire country. 

It is whispered in social circles that the defeat of 
the Committee of Thirteen on the Kansas bill, which 
the Administration lost by one vote, is attributable 
to a lady, daughter of one of our Cabinet Ministers. 
One of her victims, a prominent but "doubtful mem- 
ber" from the North, who is sighing himself into pre- 
mature wrinkles and ugliness, conceiving, on the 

evening before the vote was taken, that Miss 

evinced a preference for a rival member, would have 
his revenge by voting against the Administration ; 
the result was, the bill was lost. (A word in your 
ear.) That "member's" fate is sealed, for we saw 

Miss an hour ago, and had she swallowed all 

the pickles of her father's last State dinner, her feel- 
ings could not have been more acidulated against 
him for his recreancy. 



268 



LXX. 

ENTERTAINMENT AT SECRETARY THOMPSON'S. 

Washington, Februart, 1858. 

There was a brilliant collection of the elite at 
tlie residence of Secretary Thompson, on last Wed- 
nesday evening. The political as well as the fa- 
shionable world seemed for a time to have laid aside 
its scheming, to pay their respects to the charming 
hostess, who had a smile and a word of graciousness 
for every new-comer, and a still sweeter glance of 
intelligence for those endeared to her by the tender- 
ness of private friendship. The piquant animation 
of her manners has made this lady conspicuous in 
society from her first appearance. 

We passed through a circle of the wives of Sena- 
tors, diplomats, and ladies of the Cabinet, and found 
ourselves in an exquisite little ante-room, beautifully 
fitted up by the elegant taste of Mrs. T. for the 
recreation of loungers. Some half dozen persons 
were here gathered into a knot in eager discussion 
of the costumes of the evening. We took a seat in 
the only vacant chair which was in courteous vicinity 
to a lounge where, niched in its corner, sat the Hon. 

Sec. from , listening with a plausible degree of 

edification to the heaviest prose that could well be 
kneaded together. The distinguished gentleman 
encountered commonplace with commonplace, an- 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 269 

swered the most jejune observations by comments 
equally trite, and calmly descended to the level of 
his companion's sluggish monotony of mind. All at 
once the prosy companion's voice fell to a whisper, 
and by the peculiar manner in which the Hon. Sec. 
looked about him, as if to ascertain that his overcoat 
and coachman were in attendance, we judged his com- 
panion was asking a favor, and from some little ex- 
perience in deciphering the hieroglyphics of the hu- 
man countenance, we fancied we could foresee that 
the courtly smile which the next moment illumined 
the Hon. Sec.'s face was assumed to convey a nega- 
tive. The words which fell upon our ear confirmed 
this idea — " Encumbered as we are at the present 
moment by applicants." We did not wait to hear 
more, aware that a tete-d-tete in which one of the tetes 
is an office-seeker, should be as sacred in its privacy 
as the tete-d-tete of a pair of engaged lovers. Alas, 
for the penalties of public life ! At this pleasant 
reunion the distinguished Sec. had sought freedom 
awhile from State cares. Mistaken hope ! 

The first person that attracted our attention on 
entering the crowded dancing apartment was Miss 

, with her fresh, pure heart, her simple, earnest 

sweetness. What rich gifts this fair girl brings to 
the altar of this Washington world ! Fresh, happy 
young heart, what a pity she should come here where 
she must barter her warm, ingenious, beautiful fiith, 
her simple trustfulness for the wisdom which makes 
23* 



270 



the heart barren ! She is now intoxicated with joj, 
for everything is new and gladsome; but soon her 
spirit will be disenchanted. This scene which looked 
so green and velvety in the distance, she will, in 
time, find covered with a coarse, stunted grass, half 
faded. 

Among the gentlemen present is one whose full 
figure is well worthy the notice of a description. As 
the light of the chandelier falls upon the face, you 
see it is as unwrinkled as a boy's ; well-cut features, a 
fine complexion, dark blue eyes, and an expression 
in which there is not a trace of malignity or wile ; 
such is the exterior of the far-famed Mr. Benjamin 
Perley Poore, whose conscientious payment of a ban- 
ter on Mr. Fillmore's election (wheeling a barrel of 
apples a distance of thirty miles) is familiar to the 
country. Mr. P., though a young man, has passed 
several years abroad, and is known here as a ripe 
scholar as well as a chaste and piquant writer. But 
this gentleman's delightful temper and spirits seem 
to us, of his many gifts, the choicest. They render 
him the charm of our social circles and give a zest 
to every company he comes into. Not content with 
being happy himself, he has a trick of making every- 
body happy that comes near him. We do not know 
how he contrives it, but such is the effect. The lady 
of Mr. P. is a daughter of Mr. Dodge, one of our 
most honored citizens. 

Mr. was there, a gentleman who travels with 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 271 

lozenges in his valise, and makes it a rule never to 
sit in wet boots. The beauty of the ladies, the bril- 
liancy of this or that belle, what were such trifles to 
a man addicted to nervous headaches and engrossed 
by the daily study of domestic medicine ! And yet 
he is precisely in the same state of health which has 
kept him in a sort of chicken-broth-convalescence for 
the last few years. 

Mr. , who has been home making his bow to 

his constituents, was there in attendance on Miss 
Lane for a portion of the evening. 



LXXI. 

PRESIDENT'S LEVEE. 



WASHr^GTON, February, 1858. 

The last President's ''Levee" we attended was a 
very brilliant one, all stars and diamonds, all plumes 
and uniforms. We enjoy an attendance at these 
public receptions ; there is a variety of character 
and manner which is highly interesting, and affords 
an agreeable contrast to those select and refined as- 
semblies, the guests of which, being educated by 
exactly the same system, and with exactly the same 
ideas, think, move, talk, and dress alike. On enter- 
ing the crowded dressing-room of the Executive man- 
sion on one of these occasions not long since, we found 



2T2 



every head turned the same way ; young ladies look- 
ing curious, old ones asking questions, and all smiling 
and nodding significantly toward a figure wliich 
stood before the mirror busily employed in arranging 
her hair. Her dress was a green satin studded with 
bouquets of silver tissue, which compelled her to a 
standing position; a head-dress which might have 
served Mrs. Barney Williams in a representation of 
one of her inimitable Yankee characters ; and a set 
of Roman mosaics, (portable abridgments of the 
amphitheatre of Yerona,) with a steel-embroidered, 
orange-colored velvet reticule, emulating the dimen- 
sions of a carpet-bag, completed her attire. While 
surveying with wonder the green and silver rotundity 
of the lady's person, she suddenly turned from the 
glass, and we recognized the good-natured face of an 
old schoolmate who had been some four years before 
elevated to great affluence, by marriage with a plod- 
ding manufacturer in one of our distant cities. Another 
moment served to convey the following sentences to 

our paralyzed ears : " La ! my dear (we had 

been so unfortunate as to have been a special favorite, 
indeed, her partiality for us had amounted to positive 
insanity,) was ever anything so lucky ? I have been 
in a peck of trouble ; but thank goodness all's right 
now. I was to have been presented to Mr. Bucha- 
nan by the Senator from our State, but somehow we 
have missed him in this tremendous crowd." There 
was an irrepressible titter among the accidental audi- 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 273 

tors of this ill-timed explanation. " When I spied 
you out," continued she, unconscious of the conster- 
nation she was exciting, " think says I, all will turn 
out for the best, for you will, I know, take me in." 
Alas ! she knew of old that we were little addicted 
to the salutary austerity of saying "no" to any ap- 
plication ! In vain we tried to assume a refrigerating 
distance ; she flew ofi" to a minute account of a recent 
visit to our early home in Delaware, and as she did 
so touched a chord in our heart that never failed to 
vibrate. Then came suddenly upon us memories of 
our school-girl days. We were again in that quiet 
nut-shell of a school-house, with its inclined-plane 
roof, overtopping the little cluster of forget-me-nots, 
at the side of the door, which had been so carefully 
weeded and watered. Ah ! we recalled those days 
(do we ever expect to be happier ?) and remembered 
all the good turns she had done us. Though possess- 
ing little attractions to a refined nature, there had 
always been a warm-hearted guilelessness about her, 
and a credulous trust in everybody's purity of inten- 
tion. We remembered, too, how many a generous 
school-girl turn, how many a sum she had added up 
for us in that hateful arithmetic ; and we determined 
to brave all and accede to her request. Approach- 
ing the waiting escorts without, in another moment 
we were introduced to her better half — a brown-gai- 
tered, grave-looking individual, whose manner seemed 
to imply that we need apprehend nothing from him, 
for, like an immature lemon, he was sour but harmless. 



274 LIFE IN WASHINGTON, AND 

On the first recognition of our school-mate, the 
female portion of our acquaintance gathered round 
preparing themselves for the unusual recreation of a 
scene ; but as we took the arm of our new escort, 
there was a general retreating movement of our fa- 
shionable friends from the vicinity. The amazement 
depicted on their faces, however, was mild, compared 
with that of our escort, (an aristocratic F. F. Y., 
dating from the field of Crecj,) who examined the 
person of our companion with an air of as much ab- 
horrence as if it had been steeped in the unctuous 
cauldron of her husband. He said not a word. The 
fact that he had escorted a lady who was claimed by 
such people, was enough, and he involuntarily re- 
treated behind the skirts of the most expansive belle 
of a group near by. 

Another moment, and Mr. Buchanan was exe- 
cuting a profound bow to the globose mass of green 
and silver at our side; the announcing of our own 
name by the smiling and courteous Marshal, Mr. 
Hoover, sounded in our ears hollow, almost like 
the name of the Danish spectre. Imagine us, dear 
reader, struggling tediously forward to the "East 
Room," the centre of two figures, one of which looked 
the image of a colossal cantelope melon. At the 
door, the crowd was such that our group remained as 
incapable of locomotion as if inclosed in the Black 
Hole of Calcutta. 

As we glanced around, we met the dignified 
disdain of the fashionable Mrs. , and the as- 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 275 

tonishment of every one within sight. There was 
a kind of general movement toward our side of 
the room. All the world seemed to be in quest 
of somebody, or at least of something. ''Mem- 
bers" exchanged looks, and then with a delicacy for 
which we felt grateful, busied themselves in looking 
out of the window. Miss raised her handker- 
chief to conceal a smile ; the dignified Mrs. 

held her head higher than ever ; and her companion 
cast on us looks of contemptuous curiosity. 

At length the weary tour of the rooms ended, and 
we had scarcely gained the dressing-room before our 
fashionable friend Mrs. approached us to in- 
quire the real nature of the acquaintance between us 
and that strange-looking woman. 

"Where on earth did you pick her up ? I should 
have thought that no humanized individual would 
undertake the stigma of presenting such looking 

people ; I assure you, my dear Miss , you have 

set the White House in an uproar by your magna- 
nimity. I apprise you, however, that you are uni- 
versally blamed. The 'noes' have it." 

It was not until we reached our own home, and 
resigned our weary frame to an arm-chair, that we 
could recall to mind the thousand and one aggrava- 
tions of the evening. But with this came a feeling 
of pleasure that we had gratified and won the kind 
wishes of an early friend, who, with all her apparent 
simplicity, possessed more real heart than many who 
ridiculed her. 



276 LIFE IN WASHINGTON, AND 

LXXII. 

MISS SAUNDERS'S BALL. 
Washington, Febexjart, 1858. 

The 25th of February had been singled out for 
the last two weeks as one of triumph to our party 
lovers; for Miss Saunders — daughter af the Post- 
master-General — had issued invitations for an ele- 
gant ball which it was supposed would close our sea- 
son of gayety. By seven o'clock, there was a great 
bustle in the dressing-rooms of our city ; a dodging 
about of lights, a constant tramping of waiting- 
maids, — wreaths of flowers and bunches of mara- 
bouts enough to crush the wearers, had their weight 
been at all proportioned to their bulk. 

A friend had sent us the loan of her maid, an ex- 
pert coiffeurse, to help us out of one difficulty, and 
this sylph of the toilet executed her task with such 
dexterity that she left little or no trace of " M. J. W." 
behind her. But as the exquisite arrangement of 
her own hair proved her capacity for the delicate 
mission she came to execute, the relentless straight- 
ening out of our tresses into the "bandeau" style, 
we were in duty bound to acknowledge by smiles. 
By nine o'clock, with a warm cloak carefully laid 
upon our shoulders, we joined a party of friends 
without; where nothing was heard but the roar of 
carriages hastening with their flashing lamps, all to- 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 277 

ward the one goal. In a few moments the blaze of 
light from the bronze candelabra which grace the 
steps announced our arrival at our destination. 
After a fierce contention with a wrangling mob of 
coachmen and a confused phalanx of carriages, our 
geographer worked his way to the door; and in a 
short time we found ourself in the presence of Miss 
S., who, in a dress of white silk covered with illu- 
sion, the skirts of which were finished with a quilling 
of the most delicate rose-color, stood with her mo- 
ther receiving her guests with that winning na'ivetS 
which gives so great a charm to her manner. 

In the reception of their guests we were forcibly 
struck with the attachment and predilection mani- 
fested for their native State. Not a Tennessean," 
however humble his position here, has been over- 
looked in this elegant fete. Amid the glitter of 
foreign orders and dazzling array of army uniforms, 
the humblest department clerk from their native 
State was honored with a greeting and a prominence 
of attention greater than that accorded to the re- 
presentative of the proudest ^'European Court." 
During the entire evening the fair giver of the en- 
tertainment shed life, light, and pleasure. She did 
not leave it to chance or fate to amuse those whom 
she had assembled within her home; her invention 
never flagged, her gayety never ceased; yet both 
were so natural, that her word and presence seemed 
24 



278 LIFE IN WASHINGTON, AND 

to call forth new sources of joy and delight. All 
were surprised that thej were so agreeable. 

Passing over to the ball-room, we found the space 
in the centre filled with whirling waltz ers, who spun 
round in mazy evolutions. Manoeuvring our way 
through this delirious mass of life, we withdrew into 
the comparative silence of a corner, where a few loung- 
ing chairs were placed. As the merriment of the ball 
raged around us, we could not but be struck with 
the brilliancy of the scene. Wherever the eye fell, 
it rested upon brilliant light and incessant move- 
ment. 

As the music pants and sighs through the heated 
air, we will point out to our distant friends a few of 
the guests. 

And first we ask the reader's attention to a very 
striking face near us. Quiet in manner, a little 
reserved, he seems neither to court nor shun obser- 
vation. This gentleman, (Lord Napier,) with his 
gentle and accomplished wife, has won a place in 
the regard of our citizens never accorded to his 
predecessors. The gentleman near the chandelier, 
with fine expressive face and light mustache, is 
the Minister from Denmark, Col. Raslofi", who, if he 
had liked, could have worn foreign orders, but being 
modest, wore not one. In another direction we see 
Gen. Harney, who is here, not because he is a 
general, but because he is a hero. Not far ofi* we 
see the violet eyes of Miss Lane, and at her side 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 279 

the "bachelor member" from North Carolina, whose 
conquering motto is said to be as brief as Caesar's. 

Here comes Gen. Ward, "member" from , who 

is said to be the victim of a pleasant, comical, harm- 
less, winged boj, called "Cupid;" and not far off 
we see the Texas Ranger, (Major M'Cullough,) who 
would be as unmistakably a gentleman in a Ranger's 
coat and felt cap, as if he was dressed in a coronet 
and robes. And farther on we see sweet Juliana 
May, who looks as if she must sing with her eyes, 
they are so large and lustrous. Here comes one of 
our new Administration belles. Miss W , of Mis- 
sissippi, niece of the Secretary of the Interior. 
This amiable girl greets each passer-by with a bright 
smile, in which there is not a trace of fatigue. Here 
is Miss Cass, with her striking intellectual face and 

rather melancholy eyes ; and not far off Mrs. M , 

of Columbia, Tennessee, niece of the host, with her 
beautiful face and oriental eyes. Her dress, a gor- 
geous "point lace" upon canary-colored satin, is 
one of the most sumptuous present. 

But here comes a lady with a regal look, more re- 
markable in her than beauty. Rubies would well 
become her princely port and stately head, crowned 
with a braid of profuse black hair. This is a daugh- 
ter of Duff Green, and sister of Mrs. Calhoun. And 
here, too, is the new member from Charleston, South 
Carolina; his manners have all that polish and 
courtly ease which characterize the citizens of that 



280 LIFE IN WASHINGTON, AND 

State. This gentleman is South Carolinian to his 
finger-tips. In dangerous vicinity we see a soft, 
shady pair of blue eyes, a sweet smile, and a very 
pretty mouth, and a glow of pink and a delicately 
fair skin. This graceful beauty belongs to the daugh- 
ter of one of our wealthy citizens, Mr. McGuire, who 
has a fine gallery of paintings and a very large heart. 
And not far ofi* is Mrs. Crittenden, in a superb blue 
moire antique and point lace trimmings; and by 
her side, the lady of the Russian Minister, with a 
soft curve of rich, red lips, and teeth of faultless 
delicacy and beauty. And last and least on our 
list, dear, darling little Miss Saunders, Junior, who 
has so much kind consideration for everybody except 
herself, of whom she never thinks a moment. Of 
what a woman is not that child the making! A 
heart sensitively afi'ectionate, and a temper that is 
sweetness itself. Even here, in worldly Washington, 
the angel in the bosom sometimes looks out through 
human eyes, although the earth has sadly changed 
since the ladder of the old patriarch's dream was let 
down from heaven ! 

About twelve o'clock we entered a supper-room, 
with silver urns bubbling and steaming with Moeho^ 
and savoring deliciously of Smarty's stewed and 
fried. The plate, the lights, the variety of dishes 
substantial and unsubstantial; the piles of fruit, the 
multiplicity of wines of all colors and vintages ; the 
wonders of confectionery — towers, helmets, castles, 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 281 

pyramids, pagodas; the perfumes of monster bou- 
quets of the rarest flowers, — were presented to the 
eye in such profusion and elegance as to be ab- 
solutely dazzling. At intervals along the table, 
were the gentlemen guests, one with a dish of grouse 
before him, carving with ostentatious dexterity; 
others taking wine with this person or that person; 
another making little jocular speeches, suggesting 
Champagne to one, Hock to another, or Madeira to 
a third. 

Among the numerous brilliant entertainments of 
this season, Miss Saunders's ball of the 25th of Feb- 
ruary, will take its place with the first. 



LXXIII. 

SENATE-CHAMBER. 

Washington, March, 1858. 

The arm-chair vacated in the Senate by the death 
of the lamented Butler, is filled by a noble-browed, 
middle-aged man, who maintains a species of dignity, 
of all dignities the most imposing — a self-seclusion, 
wholly distinct from refusals of dinner parties, or 
the veto of ''not at home." He appears in society 
whenever there is a positive occasion for his appear- 
ance. At political dinners he is, we understand, a 
courted guest; and those who meet him at such so- 
24* 



282 



lemnities, rarely fail to mark him as a gentleman of 
highly cultivated mind and extended intelligence. 
By the Republican party, however, the new-comer 
is evidently regarded as a stumbling-block quite as 
much in their way as his distinguished predecessor, 
and they seem not a little vexed to find so imposing 
a successor facing them from the opposition desk, 
and secretly wish him back in South Carolina. 

We enjoyed the privilege of hearing this gentle- 
man's speech on the Kansas question^he made not 
only a great speech, but a great impression ; spoke 
with the self-possession of an habitual debater, and 
showed that a worn subject was susceptible of novel 
treatment and novel interest. A great advantage 
is bestowed on that constituency which sends to the 
Senate an eminent man. His distinction ennobles 
the State he represents, it increases their interests 
in all that affects the nation. 

Not far from Mr. Hammond may be seen a youth- 
ful figure, who has been for several years established 
among the celebrities of the day — written in italics 
— recognized by the fashionable eye of the Wash- 
ington public. His costume is arranged with con- 
siderable attention to becomingness, and not a single 
speck mars the glory of his well-varnished boots, the 
covering for a foot which certainly does no discredit 
to the good specimen of Hoover's very perfect per- 
formance in which it is encased. He seems quite at 
ease, although it is but eight and thirty days since 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 283 

he left the House for the Senate-chamber. His 
voice was overmastered in the former place ; but it 
is pitched to the exact diapason of the Senate, and 
in his maiden efforts during the last month, he has 
taken his position in that distinguished body as one 
of its rising statesmen. 

If courted by society as a bachelor member^ what 
will he be as a bachelor Senator? If so eagerly 
sought after by the great world there, what will he 
be here? He will be established in the perpetual 
sunshine of social as well as public distinction. He 
will become somebody who will be of consequence to 
everybody ; his fingeraches will create sympathy, 
and if he chooses to tell ever so long a story, our 
belles and their mammas will feel obliged to listen to 
it. The merits he will derive from the change are 
beyond computation. We cannot suppose that he 
will grow either taller or handsomer by merely tak- 
ing a cushioned seat in the upper "House;" and 
yet the way he will be whispered off into corners, 
and the enormous increase of his satin-paper cor- 
respondence department might convince one of less 
enlightened experience, that he had added a cubit to 
his stature. 

Critics complain of the coldness of this gentle- 
man's manner in speaking, and many regard him as 
a cold and calculating politician. Long before we 
had any personal acquaintance with him, we stumbled 
accidentally upon one or two acts of unostentatious 



284 LIFE IN WASHINGTON, AND 

benevolence, which led us to have a very diiFerent 
estimate from the generally received opinion of his 
character. The acts to which we refer showed a 
readiness to assist struggling poverty by substantial 
acts of kindness, rarely met with. There is so much 
of the opposite spirit in the political world, so many 
living only to serve personal ends, and success so 
often appears to make our public men forgetful of 
all but themselves, that we think this exception de- 
serving of notice. There are poor young men in 
our city whose whole future course has been deter- 
mined by the generous encouragement of Thomas 
L. Clingman. 

The visitor to the Senate cannot but be forcibly 
struck with the different attributes and manners of 
the members of that distinguished body. Many of 
them seemed anchored down in their seats from the 
beginning to the close of the daily session. But the 
majority are constantly moving about, passing to and 
fro like restless ghosts. We note, that Messrs. Sew- 
ard, Hammond, Clay, Davis, and Iverson scarcely 
leave their chairs; while Messrs. Bayard, Mason, 

Toombs, , Gwin, Clingman, and others, seem to 

be in perpetual motion. Messrs. Toombs and , 

have an eccentric will-o'-the-wispish mode of peram- 
bulating, coming composedly round the corner of 
the Speaker's chair, bringing them in contact with 
the staid ''Sergeant-at-arms," clerks, messengers, 
and the like, from whose bodies they rebound vio- 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 285 

lentlj. We have seen the former appear unexpect- 
edly and swiftly from behind the Speaker's chair, 
knocking a darling little page almost over, and scat- 
tering the contents of the little fellow's arms — letters, 
papers, etc. — in every direction. These accidents 
never occur to Messrs. Gwin and Mason, whose style 
of progression is stately and imposing, as if they 
had a chamberlain, carrying a crown, marching in 
procession in front of them. 



LXXIV. 

ENTERTAINMENT AT SIR WILLIAM GORE OUSELEY'S. 
Washington, 3Iaiich, 1858. 

The unusual and excessive gayeties of the season, 
the crowded balls and stifling mobs, are giving place 
to much more delightful and less promiscuous par- 
ties. One of the most pleasant of these reunions 
came off at Sir Gore Ouseley's on last Thursday 
evening. 

On arriving at the door we found the house illu- 
minated as if for the reception of majesty itself; 
and yet, no bustle, no crowd, no confusion, no car- 
riages locking wheels, no whipping of poor horses, 
no shouts of wrangling coachmen. The door was 
thrown open by a Hungarian footman in silver 
livery and crimson-topped boots with spurs. The 



286 LIFE IN WASHINGTON, AND 

various arrangements within were all in keeping. 
Innumerable servants, and four elegant apartments 
open en suite. On entering the reception-room, the 
names of the entering guests were announced, in a 
stentorian voice, by an English butler. 

Here we found Sir Gore and Lady Ouseley doing 
the honors ; the former en grand seigneur^ and yet, 
free from English reserve and the hauteur of Eng- 
lish ton; the latter with a graceful elegance and self- 
possession different from that nonchalance which is 
the metier of too many of our fashionable hostesses. 

Apropos of many of our metropolitan entertainers, 
who are trop prdneurSy teasing with notice, excru- 
ciating with attention, disturbing a tete-d-tete in 
order to make up a dance ; not one of these was the 
accomplished giver of this fete. If you declined, 
you were not pressed; if you assented, you were 
rewarded with a word and smile which made you 
feel it a compliment. 

In the drawing-rooms we met some thirty persons, 
much less dull than the majority of our dull race, 
and, in those little tactics that make society un- 
burdensome, perhaps even more accomplished. 

One of a cluster of gentlemen rivets interest by a 
forehead of the most intellectual cast. His voice is 
one to which Senators listen with reverence, — one 
which wisdom honors, and philanthropy has cause to 
bless. All over the country the throbbing of this 
gentleman's (Mr. Everett) eloquence is felt. 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 287 

Not far oif. Lord Napier is descanting to Mr. 
Seward upon the beauty of this lady or that, the 
merits of blue eyes ; and in his peroration he sums 
up all the striking eyes in the room. 

Not far off we see the mild face of the widow of 
Judge Woodbury. Thorwalsden might have taken 
a model of this lady's countenance for that of the 
mother of the Maccabees in his celebrated group. 
Here, too, is her daughter, looking, as usual, the lady 
— elegantly dressed without pretension, and easy 
without affectation ; and the lady of the Senator from 
New Jersey, with her large, spiritual, seraphlike eyes. 

And Miss Cass, with her pale face and styhsli air; 
and the daughter of the Attorney-General, with the 
softest eyes that ever shone in a human head ; and 
the handsome nephew of our Delaware Senator, of 
whose family it is said Avant eux le deluge. 

And here, too, is the niece of the Secretary of 
the Interior, in rose-colored crape, an exquisite 
bouquet of pansies and daisies, and glossy green 
myrtle, and other sweet flowering things, which 
nestle in slender green arms. And the Mexican 
Minister, with his foreign face and the rich 
glow of a Titian's head ; and the daughter of the 
Secretary of War, so quiet and unpretending ; and 
the wife of the Secretary of the Interior, with a 
host of friends around her, to each of whom she ap- 
pears to have something caustique or spirituelle to 
say, for every petit mot produces a burst of laughter. 
And a finished gentleman of the Virginia school, 



288 LIFE IN WASHINGTON, AND 

Mr. Harris, senior editor of the Union, with some- 
thing so genial in his countenance, that his first ap- 
pearance impresses one instantly in his favor. 

And here, too, we see the youthful face of the 
lady of the Postmaster-General, of whom, to have 
her friendship, is to' be worthy, for mere circum- 
stances need never hope to win it ; of this lady it is 
enough to say, that almost all her friendsMps are 
contracted with those whose condition in life is less 
prosperous than her own, and every decline of for- 
tune on their part is said to be accompanied by in- 
crease of attachment on hers. Tennessee has indeed 
reason to be proud of this her fair representative. 

During the entire evening servants, in rapid suc- 
cession, passed through the rooms with refreshments 
in elegant profusion, and, at twelve o'clock, the sup- 
per-room was thrown open, and the guests, who were 
aware of the sudden manner in which the whole 
affair had arisen, wondered at the magic which had 
produced a result worthy of a fortnight's prepara- 
tion. It seemed as if the finest cellars in the country 
had been ransacked for excellence and variety. 
There was Hock of a century old, though, for our 
part, we cannot see, or rather taste, the beauty of 
this antiquity. 

The young daughter of the host, with the naivete 
of the nursery still clinging to her, was not the least 
admired among the celebrities of the evening; she 
carries with her a charm of manner which few 
American "Misses" of her years possess. 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 289 

LXXV. 

SENATE-CHAMBER. 

Washington, IMarch, 1858. 

It is the meridian of Washington gayety, and the 
festivities of our city are in their brightest bloom. 
Private parties, receptions, and levees are succes- 
sively hailed in prospect, and apostrophized as charm- 
ing on the following day. Every night has its fete; 
and foreign ministers, resident citizens, and wealthy 
public men, vie with each other in the splendor of 
their entertainments. 

Another feature of "Washington Life" is in full 
play, and cards of invitation — on whose vast extent 
Napoleon might almost have picked out the plan of 
one of his Italian campaigns — are issued for dinners 
at a fortnight's warning. There is no doubt but 
some who give these dinners, like the Primrose 
family after entertaining Squire Thornhill's ser- 
vants, are forced to pinch it for the rL,ext month. 

We design at some future day to give our readers 
a peep at one of these "brilliant affairs," which are 
given on a grander scale than the "dinner parties" 
of other cities. We will introduce him to a table 
groaning under Sevres dishes and sparkling glasses 
of Bohemian fabric, with exquisite viands and wine, 
with gentlemen behind each guest dressed so like 
the guest himself, that guest and lackey seem stereo- 
typed from one plate. 

25 



290 



And yet, dear reader, is it not a mental delusion 
of our self-sufficient country to call this hospitality? 
Would it have been called hospitality in the days of 
our forefathers, when log-cabins possessed no door 
for the exclusion of strangers? Now, when door- 
bells and street doors interpose between private life 
and public, our warmth of hospitality is frozen ; the 
dinners are savory to the palate; but they give 
these feasts to their friends, as dismissal to their 
servants, at a week's warning; and throughout the 
gay season they fill their drawing-rooms with guests 
— but does the genial spirit of hospitality prompt 
the giver? The guests must feed at their own time 
and the suggestion of their pleasure, or seek else- 
where for entertainment. 

Let a friend but keep dinner waiting half an hour, 
and he will see. They offer him French dishes and 
Champagne in due season; but let him ask a slice of 
mutton at his need ! With an apparent openness of 
hospitality worthy the tents of Arabia, they erase 
from their list of friends a man capable of request- 
ing a crust of bread and glass of Madeira when 
luncheon time is past. We very much fear that 
there is little of the virtue that shares its bread and 
salt with a fellow-traveler in the desert, in this frigid 
hospitality. 

On our last visit to the Senate, Mr. had pos- 
session of the floor. When we entered, he was in 
the crisis of his speech, confounding Kansas, the 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 291 

South, and slaveliolders in a common detestation, 
passing them in review like files of leaden soldiers. 
This gentleman has languished, until recently, from 
the staggering blow his party underwent in the de- 
feat of Mr. Fremont. In his speech, he disposed of 
the gravest interests of the country by a pun, and 
illustrated the feats and defeats of the Administra- 
tion by a series of squibs. 

As a speaker, his language is strong; but vitu- 
peration and personality make too much of the 
materiel. 

The Message of the President was, yesterday, 
sent in with the Lecompton Constitution, and angry 
and troubled clouds are already arising upon the po- 
litical horizon. In our short recollection of public 
life here, this seems a period of the deepest per- 
plexity. 

Mr. Brown, of Mississippi, addressed the Senate 
to-day in a speech of much ability, like a man who 
was speaking his sincere opinions, and who never 
spoke against his convictions. Sound argument, 
over and above what any one present could conceive 
possible, he brought into the service of his cause. 

Mr. occasionally threw in sharp vitriolic re- 
torts; but he seemed hoarse, as if laboring under a 
sore throat. 

On the conclusion of Mr. Brown, Mr. pressed 

the Senate to death, by his lengthy sameness. It was 
really like hearing a tune droned through a bagpipe. 



292 



LXXVI. 

SCENE IN THE HOUSE— MR. MILES'S SPEECH— MR. ORR. 

Washington, March, 1858. 

The angry and troubled clouds on the political 
horizon have condensed and darkened within the last 
few weeks. In all our recollections of public life 
here, this seems a period of the deepest perplexity. 
The debates are incessant and exhausting, and every 
casual collision becomes personal, while the most 
trivial play of pleasantry is embittered into an insult. 
The political world is wild about Kansas, and there 
is a general rush to the galleries to listen to discus- 
sions on this threadbare subject. We joined the 
crowd a few days since, and, on reaching the Ca- 
pitol, the 'grounds before and around it presented 
the most animated aspect. On the broad pavement, 
composed of large flags of granite, might be seen 
knots of people hurrying rapidly up to the stately 
edifice, some joking as they went ; while in the open 
space at the foot of the steps the petty trader in 
apples, cakes, etc., was supplying hungry mouths 
from his small and itinerant collection. 

The rotunda above had also its throngs, though 
they wore a more quiet and serious air and every 
now and then respectfully gave way as some Senator 
passed along to his part of the building, nodding with 
condescension to such of his friends or constituents 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 293 

as he recognized among the crowd. From the ro- 
tunda we caught a view of Greenough's group with- 
out, and in the public square beyond a fountain 
played • while above rose the granite pedestal upon 
whose summit towered the colossal statue of Wash- 
ington. As we passed through the now deserted 
Hall for the new building, we found groups of men 
scattered here and there conversing with great eager- 
ness ; while in the lobby some Demosthenes of the 
House was haranguing his little knot of admiring 
friends, and preparing his oratorical organs for the 
grand battle within. In the vestibule workmen were 
employed upon the beautiful mosaic pavement, and 
the noise of their implements rose above the hum of 
the multitude within. 

Such, dear reader, is a feeble sketch of the bustle, 
the gayety, the animation, the floAV of life all around 
this great political arena ; but we despair of giving 
you any conception of what is passing within it — of 
the associations which cluster there. We leave to 
abler pens to describe the wire-pulling, the exaggera- 
tion, and the detraction, the sham patriotism, the 
party watch-words, and the party nick-names, the 
finesse and the falsehoods, which are too closely 
identified with "life" as it passes there. But, after 
all, it is not essential to it ; and there is to be found 
even there men in whose breast the voice of conscience 
is peremptory — men who embody all the elements 
and represent to the world the best results of liberty. 
25* 



294 LIFE IN WASHINGTON, AND 

True, some of tliem are now turned topsy-turvy, 
and so shaken out of their harness that they do not 
know exactly what party they do belong to ; yet we 
have little fear that when the test comes they will be 
found voting on the great national platform, as na- 
tional men, who are responsible to their God for the 
way in which they vote. 

"No!" "Ay!" These are four crooked marks 
which we call letters, and yet on every crack and 
crevice of those unsightly letters hang great interests. 
In the question now shaking the country to its cen- 
tre, how should every member weigh those uncouth 
dungeons of a great power ! "No!" ''Ay!" What 
a crooked body for an expressive soul are these sim- 
ple marks ! In the present crisis these simple words 
become a tongue of justice, a voice of order; secur- 
ing rights to our whole country, not a section of it. 
In the present struggle in the House there is no 
middle ground ; no one member can isolate himself 
from his responsibility. These simple words are the 
medium through which he acts upon his country, 
contributing either to paralyze and lock the energies 
of one section, or to promote our union, peace, and 
harmony on all great sectional questions. To you, 
then, in this crisis, we call and ask you to be faithful 
to the union of these States, that our flag may never 
lose one star ! 

On entering the gallery we found it crowded with 
the beauty and fashion of the city, of all audiences the 



LIFi^ HERE AND THERE. 295 

most hazardousAo the self-possession of a debutant. 
In a few momOTits after our entrance a " new mem- 
ber" (Mr. Ponclier Miles, of South Carolina,) arose 
and commenced with a concise, but clear and masterly 
exposition of his views of the exciting question of the 
day. It was evident he felt keenly upon this im- 
portant measure. A great principle of national 
right, he contended, was to live or die upon its suc- 
cess or defeat. He described with power the pecu- 
liar injustice of the North in this matter, and exhi- 
bited a degree of general political knowledge rarely 
to be found among the masters of government pens, 
and the blurrers of government paper. At one point 
he turned toward the member from Ohio, (Mr. Gid- 
dings,) and, in a tone of indignant eloquence, alluded 
to the false charges of that member against Southern 
slaveholders. His action became vehement and 
his eye flashed, as he put forth in blackened array 
the calumnious statements of that member, reprobat- 
ing them with the loftiest rebuke. And yet, over 
and above all, there was emphatically the air, tone, 
and bearing of the gentleman. 

His remarks produced much sensation on the Re- 
publican side of the "House," and brought Mr. G. 
to the floor. We will not attempt to describe the 
convulsive flights and exaggeration of his reply. It 
was characteristic of the man ; but in the midst of it 
the Speaker's hammer descended, and the "House" 
was in a tempest ; some dozen simultaneously 



296 LIFE IN WASHINGTON, AND 



shrieking fortla their respective rights to an exclusive 
hearing. In one direction a fire-eating member, 
seeming to quiver with indignation, screamed out in 
the healthy maturity of his lungs, ''Mr. Speaker!'' 
A Black Republican, foaming with no common rage, 
sung out "ifi"r. Speaker V In a crimson chair, on 
an elevated platform, in full view of this portentious 
vociferation, sat the hapless object of all this clamor, 
a spectator of the turmoil that raged around him. 
The contrast was at once striking and affecting. 

This confusion continued for some five minutes, 
and the symptoms of impending riot became moment- 
arily more alarming, when, in a short interval of 
diminished uproar, one of the most prominent of the 
disturbers started up from his seat, and, with almost 
maniacal ferocity, gave out, with terrific energy, a 
compact, full-bodied ''Mr. Speaker V as if he intended 
calling Mm to order. 

With such a state of things we should think the 
family of Mr. Orr would really feel uneasy, for the 
distinguished gentleman seems to grow deafer and 
deafer every day. We doubt whether he'd flinch 
under the broadside of a fleet of steam-frigates at a 
naval review. 

As far as our observation extends, he is perfectly 
impartial. The party of the member seems to have 
no sort of weight with him, and to each one he gives 
an equal and unbiased hearing. 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 29T 



LXXVII. 

PARTY AT THE NATIONAL HOTEL. 

Washington, March, 1S58. 

About eight o'clock on Monday evening last, we 
found ourself transported into the midst of an as- 
sembly of well-dressed people, in one of those brown- 
faced Babylons, — the National Hotel. The drawing- 
rooms of the National are large and well-proportioned 
apartments, with broad English windows which break 
the outline, and help to give that irregular and nooky 
appearance to the rooms, taking off all discomfort 
from their extent. 

About nine o'clock the drawing-rooms were va- 
cated for the ball-room. The ingenuity of the pro- 
prietor had converted the dining-room, or a wing of 
it, into a superb dancing-saloon ; the familiar and 
harmless four-limbed inhabitants had been all expa- 
triated and banished from their native home. A long 
cloud of gentlemen and lady dancers emerged on this 
scene of conquest with the air of Napoleon looking 
from the Alps on Italy. In a few minutes we knew 
the ball had commenced, by hearing the music, feeling 
the floor vibrate, and finding ourself swayed to and 
fro occasionally by the movements of the dancers, 
though we could scarcely see them. The whole 
vast space was one moving mass of brilliant color, 



298 LIFE IN WASHINGTON, AND 

wMle over all, and above all, sounded gay lau^-hter 
and a ceaseless hum of conversation. 

Among the crowd of elegantlj-dressed ladies were 
some two or three who were conspicuous for the ex- 
treme elegance of their toilet. Mrs. Gen. McQueen, 
of South Carolina, with a magnificent head-dress of 
pearls, not exactly like those of the fairy tale, "each 
as big as a hazelnut," but large enough to make a 
head-dress fit for a queen. A white silk, with very 
exquisite cherry trimmings, completed her chaste 
and beautiful attire. The spiritual gray eyes of this, 
to us, very interesting person, give a soft and femi- 
nine expression to a face which, without being beau- 
tiful in itself, is almost made so by its beauty of ex- 
pression. 

Mrs. Senator Brown, of Mississippi, was in a su- 
perb crimson "moire antique" with "point lace trim- 
mings." This lady's high-bred air, with a certain 
look of candor, give great dignity to her appearance, 
while her hands and arms are those of a statue. 
She is so universally beloved in our city, that we 
may be pardoned for indulging in a little expression 
of enthusiasm about her. 

And our darling Miss (we didn't say who, 

did we?) was there, looking as charming a little duo- 
decimo edition of womankind as you ever saw in 
the library of loveliness. Poor girl ! what with her 
lovers, foreign and domestic, young and middle aged, 
she has a trying time of it ! The first named urge 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 299 

theik proposals in a calm, dogged, confident way, 
that seems to defy even the bare possibility of re- 
fusal. They cannot be persuaded of her being in 
earnest in her rejection of them, but persist for 
weeks in considering it a mistake. Others procure 
an introduction, and two or three interviews with 
her, after the last of which they suddenly order a 
hack and proceed to the cars. 

At one point in the evening, a gentleman friend 
deserted us to go and talk politics with a little knot 
of middle-aged men, and we, in common with the 
rest of our sex, feeling that Kansas and such matters 
are quite sufficiently discussed in the much-enduring 
ears of Congress and the long-enduring pages of the 
Globe, had little patience with his defection upon so 
small a temptation. He had scarcely disappeared, 
when lo ! the beautiful wife of the Senator from New 
Hampshire approached, leaning on the arm of the 
Senator from Massachusetts, Mr. Wilson, and for- 
mally presented us to that gentleman. 

Our readers, we perceive, are becoming agitated 
when they think of our remarks on this Senator, 
and anticipate a terrible scene — an attack for free- 
dom of pen or something of that sort. Not a bit of 
it! Not even the remotest allusion to them. No 
violent denunciations of the Lecompton Constitu- 
tion, no fierce anathemas against Mr. Buchanan, no 
warning of the consequences of the present course 
of the Administration, but a sensible and interesting 



300 LIFE IN WASHINGTON, AND 

conversation on subjects in general ; a hope that we 
would visit Boston, a citj he felt certain we should 
be pleased with, and (would you believe it?) a grace- 
fully expressed compliment on our pen, implying 
that anything bearing our name was worthy of being 
written in enduring characters on pyramids. 

During the progress of our conversation, it was 
amusing to see the astonishment of our Southern 
friends, who expressed, in a variety of ways, the 
feelings with which it impressed them. The lady of 
the member from South Carolina passed along with 
a look of grave commiseration, elegiacally feeling 
for her salts. The Senator from Mississippi followed 
with a distant bow of contemptuous disapproval; 
while our stately friend, the Senator from Texas, 
seemed to have some difficulty in believing the evi- 
dence of his eyes, seldom so inconveniently emanci- 
pated from their almost coexistent spectacles. Clos- 
ing his snuffbox with a jerk of disdain, he passed on, 
seeming to have a very confused and imperfect no- 
tion of what it could mean. 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 301 

LXXVIII. 

TURKISH ADMIRAL AT THE PRESIDENT'S LEVEE. 

Washington, March, 1858. 

A FRIEND, knowing our Oriental mania, called a 
few days sit ce to communicate the certainty of the 
Turkish Admiral, who is temporarily in our city, 
being present at the coming "levee" at the Executive 
mansion. 

So, at last, we were to see a bona fide Turk ; we 
who had always looked with romantic feelings upon 
every "tableau" in which a slave-market was intro- 
duced ! We then at last were to see a real live Turk- 
ish gentleman, an Admiral with velvet robes, satin 
trowsers, spangled slippers, velvet-cased scimitar, 
jeweled dagger, gorgeous turban, with diamond vig- 
nette and crescent ! The delight of anticipation 
made us fail, half a dozen times, in tying an obsti- 
nate bouquet of spring violets. 

AYe set off with a pleasant party under the guid- 
ance of one of those practical geographers called 
hack-drivers, and reached the White House at an 
early hour. As we passed in we noticed a lady play- 
ing Juliet to a handsome Romeo on the moonlit bal- 
cony without. The ladies' dressing-room presented 
a thronging, undulating multitude; and w^e do not 
remember further details till we found ourselves in 
the reception-room, where Mr. Buchanan stood ex- 
26 



302 



changing salutations with all who approached. There 
is a thought we wish to speak here, but it is probably 
something we have no right to speak, and so we have 
bit our lips and crowded down the temptation. We 
may be allowed, however, to express our sympathy 
with the distinguished head of the nation, who is of 
such moral magnitude that he is unable to eat a sand- 
wich without being prominent in a paragraph, and is 
compelled to keep his head on a continual bend by 
the compliments of those who are waiting for offices. 
Such are the penalties of Presidential dignities. 

After pausing a moment in the ''reception-room," 
we pushed our way into the "East Room," and were 
looking around with ill-concealed impatience, when 
our companion suddenly drew our attention to three 
male figures who were making a profound obeisance 
to Miss Lane. Instead of the expected vision of 
beauty and costliness, like a tableau from the Ara- 
bian Nights, our wondering eyes beheld a group of 
men booted and equipped as all around them, ex- 
cepting the head ; upon that, a red silk cap of a coni- 
cal form, with a crimson tassel, was pressed down 
upon their brows and over their ears, scarcely show- 
ing a lock of hair. The Pacha's figure had a su- 
perior air, and he possessed a marked profile and 
eyes full of energetic character. The sole distinction 
of his costume that we observed was a splendid dia- 
mond star, with the crescent in its centre. His 
interpreter has a handsome expressive Italian face, 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 303 

which could not be disguised even by the disfiguring 
fez worn by them all. 

After clearly implying our disappointment by an 
expressive look, which measured their costume, from 
the red cap to the Parisian boots, we passed into the 
Green Room, which was fragrant with blossoming 
plants and exotics. Seating ourselves on one of the 
green and gold sofas, with a pile of cushions as an 
elbow resting-place, we turned to survey the stream 
of human life which flowed past. It was a brilliant 
scene. There were beautiful women in dresses of 
every description, and distinguished statesmen who 
bent their heads and smiled with a condescending 
air, while gentlemen of the diplomatic corps might 
be seen with the orders of their country glittering on 
their breasts. This circle was the most animated of 
all present. But most people are pleasanter in any 
other country than their OAvn. Even the English, 
like Thames water, become brilliant and sparkhng 
by exportation to southern latitudes. There were 
fashionable exquisites in all kinds of costumes; and 
members of the bar, the glorious bar, where gentle- 
men seem to live the first year or two on the red 
tape which secures their maiden briefs ; and in the 
crowd there was a ray of sunshine in the shape of a 
beautiful child, with cheeks dimpling all over, and 
blue eyes floating in radiance as they looked out 
wonderingly from tangled masses of shining hair. 
And here and there you might see the curious, puz- 



304 



zled face of some plainlj-dressed rustic, who had 
been suddenly transferred from his practical home, 
with its real work-day men and women, to this scene 
of elegance and gayety. 

In the centre of a little circle of gentlemen we 
noticed the Secretary of War, Gov. Floyd, whose 
fine, open countenance carries a charm with it, and 
gives promise of a warm, honest heart — a promise, 
too, which, according to universal report, is never 
broken. Sympathy and kindness seem an instinct 
in him, founded in his very nature. He is a noble 
representative of a noble State. 

Near us, a tall, slight figure, with a foreign air and 
pair of most orthodox mustaches, was cruising, with 
a very pretty girl, in the straits of flirtation, wasting 
as much sentiment as might smooth over the Kansas 
question or conciliate the Lecompton dilemma. 

This crowd afi"orded comparatively but little inte- 
rest, if we contemplated it merely as a crowd. But 
the most superficial eye recognized that it yielded a 
deep lesson. In the spectacle which was presented 
on this occasion we recognized one of the signs of 
our greatness as a nation. The stream of human 
life which fiowed through the Executive mansion 
without challenge, illustrated the noblest privilege on 
the face of the globe. It was a grand thing, some- 
thing which involved profound doctrines of equality, 
that here the doors were open to all; that here the 
humblest, poorest man in the nation had an oppor- 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 305 

tunity to approach the President, with no barrier be- 
tween. And this privilege is legitimately ours. Men 
have died in battle-fields, that we might obtain this 
symbol of freedom, and enjoy this consciousness of a 
sacred individuality. 



LXXIX. 

PRESIDENT'S LEVEE— A. V. BROWX, POSTMASTER-GENERAL. 

Washixgtox, March, 1858. 

We reached the Executive mansion last evening 
amid the harmonious discords of clashing carriages, 
yelling hackmen, and reproving coachmen. In the 
throng crowding the dressing-room there was pre- 
sented the rival attractions of diamonds and pearls, 
white silk and blue, the "members'" wives striving 
to eclipse the Senators', outdressing the lady of the 
"Supreme Court," or throwing into the shade the 
less pretending government official's lady. 

Well-to-do merchants' clerks, in the worst stages 
of dandyism, snug government clerks, and old world- 
worn politicians were admitted to the "Executive pre- 
sence" by hundreds. Our public men seem to think 
it an enviable post to be President ; and yet had some 
of those ambitious aspirants seen this distinguished 
gentleman last evening, even they would have thought 
him an object of sympathy. The people — the dear 
26* 



306 



people — reminded us of so many vultures gathered 
together; and bound, as the President is, to the 
stake of "public life," he had no means of evading 
their beaks and claws. There ought to be a wall 
built up to defend him against incursions of such 
hordes of people — such masses of human beings. 
In the presence of the head of the nation all seem 
as if they have a right to be listened to ; and, as if 
to repay themselves for insignificance elsewhere, 
they beset him before, behind, and around, in a way 
that might exhaust the patience of any human being 
less patient. We should not wonder if the distin- 
guished gentleman should go into a rapid decline, to be 
ordered to a milder climate as a sole chance of escape ; 
indeed, we wonder he does not at once commence 
milk-diet and Iceland-moss. For ourselves, we should 
not blame Miss Lane, if she were to hire incendiaries 
during some temporary absence of her uncle, and 
put an end to his sufferings. 

As the President stood receiving, we had an op- 
portunity to inspect his face, by the strong light of 
the chandelier. It was the first time we had steadily 
contemplated him since his inauguration, and we 
were forcibly struck with the havoc which those few 
short months had effected in his appearance. There 
is a cast of care and anxiety in his face that it is im- 
possible to see without perceiving that his life is a 
harassing one. 

There is much that enlists interest in the cha- 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 307 

racter and antecedents of this venerable man. He 
has, through a long and distinguished career, kept 
his fidelity to a memory and a grave. There has 
been one brief, exquisite episode in his life which 
can never return. For him there has been no second 
mine of fine gold. In his envied abode the gardens at 
this cheerless season wear a summer aspect, creeping 
evergreens clothing their colonnades with verdure; 
yet, spite its summer beauty, it is a " drear, single 
man's home." To him "public life" with its stern 
business and heavy cares is the all in all. During 
his long life fair faces may have pleased his fancy, 
or qualities of mind attracted his admiration ; but in 
his heart a spirit sits throned who forever bends 
down to listen, to watch those who would approach 
him, and bar them out with whispers of sorrowful 
comparison. When the cares of station press heavily 
upon him ; when friends he had valued distrust him ; 
and when he vainly struggles to avoid reproach, ah ! 
then an angel from serener worlds, with white calm 
feet, and floating, moveless wings, unheard, its solemn 
presence only known by a soft halo on surrounding 
things, comes at his bidding, and, summoning his soul 
to leave the jarring tumults of the earth, flings wide 
oblivion's undreaded gates. And so to peace and 
silence leads the way. 

Before entering the "East Koom" we paused in 
the " Green Room," where all the furniture is subdued 
and in good taste, containing only chairs and sofas. 



308 LIFE IN WASHINGTON, AND 

No mismatched tables of nick-nackery, nothing that 
recalls the curiosit j-shop is to be seen. Here we found 

Mrs. , absorbed in her companion's account of 

a faceache, caught in the recent ''wet spell." As 
we passed along they were busy with the embroca- 
tions. On a French lounge a matronly committee 
seemed to be holding a cabinet-council concerning 
the number of yards necessary to bring a baby's cap 
to the present fashionable dimensions. 

In the "East Room" all appeared in the highest 
spirits, laughing and talking with exuberant gayety. 
In the crowds pouring along may be seen a group of 
gentlemen who remain in stationary stateliness near 
the window, gazing at the panorama that reyolves 
around them. 

Dear reader, are you a disciple of /'Lavater?" if 
so, we desire to call your attention to one of this 
group ; a gentleman who can scarcely have passed 
the middle age, though frequent threads of silver 
mingle in his hair. No stranger could pass him by 
without observation. He is of stout and rather 
portly figure, and his face singularly open ; the ex- 
pression plethoric with heart and goodness. We 
would be willing to stake our existence on his integ- 
rity ! Fatherless and brotherless, we would turn to 
him ; and, as to distrusting his advice, we would as 
soon think of distrusting the Bible. Throw us out 
WTetched and friendless on the wide world, and we 
would instinctively turn to that face. It is the face 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 309 

of one whom men, when dying, would have as ex- 
ecutor to their wills and guardian to their sons. 

We have enlarged upon the features and aspect of 
this distinguished gentleman, (Hon. A. Y. Brown, 
Postmaster-General,) because they intimate much of 
his mind and character. He seems to be cordially 
honored by all who know him for the dignity and 
purity of his '' private life," while his published 
speeches awaken a generous love of what is honora- 
ble and good by illustrations drawn from the resources 
of a pure and lofty imagination. They also indicate 
an elegant taste for literature, the pursuits of a pub- 
lic life having evidently repressed a strong tendency 
to literary addictions of a high order. 

He seems to possess a singularly sound and clear 
intellect, and is known to belong to the "moderate 
school" in politics. 

In a close examination of "public men" here we 
are forcibly struck with one fact — that those most 
audibly violent, if we may so speak, are rarely the 
wisest or purest of their party. This gentleman is, 
we think, one who will not live in vain ; and should 
he be removed before his time his country will miss 
him. Fame has already spoken of him, but we pre- 
dict that the clang of her trumpet shall still more 
rejoice his ear. 



310 LIFE IN WASHINGTON, AND 

LXXX. 

SCENE IN THE HOUSE— REUNION AT THE POSTMASTER-GENERAL'S. 

Washijs-gton, April, 1S58. 

We passed through the "Old Hall" yesterday, on 
our way to the "House," where we found .groups of 
people sitting sad and silent, who, from their elon- 
gated visages, we supposed to be "Claim Agents," 
mourning over the close of the session. 

There is something sacred and classical to us in 
this pillared room, with its air of antique grandeur. 
What conspiracies against parties have been con- 
cocted in its lobbies ! What anathemas and denun- 
ciations have gone forth from its desks ! Before it 
crumbles to dust may some appropriate historian 
immortalize the lights and shadows of a spot conse- 
crated by such memories of genius and art. 

We found in the House a wordy war raging, and 
even more than the usual hubbub. An honorable 
member from Illinois was employed in a personal at- 
tack upon a member from Virginia, Mr. Smith, bran- 
dishing an extract from the CJiicago Times to give 
force to his eloquence. 

The object of the denunciations sat with brows 
contracted, and bore the sledge-hammer blows dealt 
upon him with the desperation of an Indian at the 
stake, until the enraged honorable declared that the 
gentleman from Virginia "was not worthy to unloose 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 311 

the shoes of the Senator from Illinois," when the 
latter sprang to his feet, and a scene of the greatest 
confusion followed. The Speaker, for some moments, 
vainly called to order. The reader may imagine the 
din of a cotton-mill, and he will have some idea of 
the rhetorical dispute of two members in the healthy 
maturity of their lungs. When at last quiet was 
restored, we learned this intellectual wonder, who 
was vainly trying to silence his opponent and carry 

him off upon his shoulders, was Mr. , and his 

remarks an eloquent defence of Senator against 

some alleged calumny. 

It puzzles us to guess whether the tears of good 
angels or the mirth of had ones must exceed while 
watching the progress of these disputes. 

During this scene of turmoil, the immediate friends 
of the combatants gathered round them, while others 
sat at their desks looking on with the most listless 
indifference. At last, Mr. J. Glancy Jones — a gen- 
tleman whose excellence of character commands 
universal respect — arose, and, in a few sensible re- 
marks, called the attention of the House to the busi- 
ness of the day. "VYe admired what he said. The 
plain truth, clothed in plain language, brings con- 
viction to the public mind far before the finest ora- 
tion, studded with classical quotations and historical 
allusions. The people do not want to hear what was 
done by the Stuarts and Tudors, the Greeks and 



312 



Romans. They want to learn what the Representa- 
tives w^ill do for them. 

The Administration finds in Mr. J. Glancy Jones 
a strenuous supporter of no ordinary value ; and his 
constituents have a security that no distorted mis- 
representations, no matter from whose lips they may 
come, will be allowed to pass in his presence without 
peremptory contradiction. 

In the gallery the honorable member from 

was denoting to Miss that species of distin- 
guishing incense which he considers due the only 
daughter of a millionaire. The honorable member 
is far too accurately aware of the value of himself 
and his position to dream of throwing away his at- 
tentions upon a mere fourth or fifth daughter, the 
list of whose brothers and sisters would be destruc- 
tion to the hopes of even a millionaire. Oh, how 
many accounts this gentleman will have to balance 
with the women-world ! His character exhibits as 
perplexing a study as the Leaning Tower of Pisa. 

A great schism arose in society here at the epoch 
of the Kansas Bill. During its progress in Con- 
gress, the Capulets and Montagues of the political 
world, i.e. Lecompton and anti-Lecompton, would 
scarcely meet in the same room ; but the moment 
the great measure was carried, the efi'ervescence sub- 
sided, and Lecompton and anti-Lecompton, recol- 
lecting that, like sea and land, there must exist a 
junction between them, amalgamated as usual. 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 313 

A delightful reunion of some dozen persons came 
ofif a few evenings since at the residence of the 
Postmaster-General. The Vice-President and Mrs. 
B., so intellectual and estimable; the newly-ap- 
pointed Senator from Minnesota, Mr. Rice, and 
Governor Foot, were among the guests. The distin- 
guished ex-Senator has been quite a lion here for 
the last two weeks, imparting a colloquial charm to 
every circle, just as superior in private as in public 
life. His small-talk seems as great as his speaking 
is effective ; and, over and above all, he is emphatic- 
ally the gentleman. 

Miss Saunders's delightful music on the harp and 
piano constituted the charm of the evening. She 
sang songs "old as the hills," but new to us: Scotch 
ballads, with their touching words ; merry Italian 
airs ; with melancholy and passionate German melo- 
dies ; and wound up all on the piano with a little 
plaintive Hindoo air. By the lovers of music the 
evening referred to will be long remembered. 



LXXXI. 

SENATE-CHAMBER— PENSION BILL. 

Washington, April, 1858. 

We paid a visit a day or two since to that octagon- 
shaped room in the Capitol which calls itself the 
Senate-chamber, and found that distinguished body 

27 



314 



listening to an honorable Senator Trho was opposing 
the Widows' "Pension Bill." As the speaker re- 
sumed his seat, a slender figure arose, whose spiritual 
appearance presented a striking contrast to his pre- 
decessor. 

This noble defender of the dead (Mr. Jeff. Davis) 
began by sweeping away the heap of argument with 
which his opponent had encumbered the subject. He 
brought facts for his facts, and answers for his cap- 
tiousness. He spoke with all his usual loftiness, but 
with more than his usual feeling, as he reviewed the 
character of the dead men whose families asked for 
relief. He showed in a striking light the hardships 
of a soldier's life ; that he had learned from expe- 
rience that it was something more than to sit niched 
in an arm-chair, session after session, and saj "Ay" 
or "No" from a commodious morocco dormitory. 
He showed that magnanimity to the widows and 
orphans of those who shed their blood in behalf of 
their country was an instinct, a virtue, that should 
be to men as high above physical considerations as 
the heavens are above the earth. If not, we must ac- 
knowledge ourselves unworthy to hold a name among 
nations. As he proceeded, his keen eye seemed to 
blaze, his form swayed to and fro, rising, bend- 
ing, leaning over the desk before him, with that 
polished grace for which Mr. Clay was so re- 
markable. 

It was a warm, honest outpouring of indignant 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 315 

eloquence in defence of the dead, and in behalf of 
widows and orphans. "VYe always fancy we are in 
the presence of Mr. Clay when this gentleman rises 
to speak, and we always contemplate him with the 
feeling of respect which all entertained for that 
lamented and illustrious statesman, whom, we think, 
in many respects, he very much resembles. The 
unfortunate and the friendless always find in him an 
eloquent champion. There are those who owe all 
their success to his generous and prompt indorse- 
ment when they were friendless and unknown. 

In the gallery we were seated next a dear, dar- 
ling old Quaker lady from Pennsylvania, on her 
first visit to Washington, whose sympathies seemed 
to be deeply enlisted by Mr. D.'s evident ill-health, 
as well as his generous vindication of the claims of 
her sex. She wept during his speech, and, on its 
conclusion, inquired of us where he resided, and 
added, in the most earnest, truthful way, that she 
would call on Mrs. D. and su2ff]:est that he should 

Co 

drink London Brown Stout, and retire from public 
life until he should reo;ain flesh and streno-th ; add- 
ing, with an inimitable naivete of manner, "Poor 
man, I hope if his wife is left alone in the world she 
will find some one to speak for her!" We judged, 
from her remarks, that she was herself a widow. 

Passing over from the Senate-chamber, we found 
the House in a tempest, a jargon, unequaled since 
the confusion of Babel, which seemed compounded 



316 LIFE IN WASHINGTON, AND 

of all the tongues of ancient and modern Europe, to 
the utter oblivion of the predominant cry of "Mr. 
Speaker !" pronounced with frantic activity by some 
twenty voices simultaneously. 



LXXXII. 

PARTY AT LORD NAPIER'S— FUNERAL OP MISS DAHLGREEN. 

Washington, April, 1858. 

Some two months since, Lord Napier gave one of 
the most elegant parties of the season. It was a 
fete of rare brilliancy. Coroneted carriages de- 
posited their inmates at his door, and the pompous 
butler admitted group after group of our distin- 
guished citizens. There were elegant women in jew- 
eled tiaras, and fair girls with gossamer dresses 
floating like misty veils around their figures. 

Among the guests on that occasion was one who 
was strikingly conspicuous, a young daughter of a 
resident citizen. Captain Dahlgreen, of the Navy. 
She was a slender girl, exquisitely graceful, with a 
lovely coral mouth, eyes of the softest, meekest 
violet, and a face shaded with long golden ringlets 
like floating rays of sunshine. She seemed like one 
to whom God had given the power by personal love- 
liness to produce a living impression of the imagery 
of heaven, even here amid the earthly darkness of 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 317 

our life. It was her first appearance in society, and 
she was simply dressed in white, with natural flowers 
on her bosom, so purely, freshly beautiful, that they 
were fit emblems of the one they adorned. By 
general acclamation, she was pronounced the love- 
liest of that brilliant crowd, and as such, was selected 
by Lady Napier to open the festivities of the even- 
ing. Many who saw her on that occasion felt that 
the glittering eyes, the prominent veins around the 
temples, the transparent complexion, indicated but 
too plainly the signs of the malady which would in- 
sidiously terminate her pure existence. 

A few brief weeks have passed away, and Lizzie 
Dahlgreen was again a strikingly conspicuous object 
in a large assembly of the young and beautiful, who 
had collected in the hall and in the parlors of her 
father's residence. But there was no music, no 
joyful hilarity: an awful stillness reigned around. 
The window-shutters were closed; everyone spoke 
in whispers, and the attendants moved about 
stealthily and cautiously, as if they feared to wake 
one who lay in slumber. The stillness and solemn 
hush of death was there, instead of the jubilee of 
mirth ; the oppressive silence which follows the fall- 
ing asleep of those whom no earthly sound shall ever 
rouse again. Dim as the light was in the rooms, a 
beam had contrived to find its way through the dra- 
peries of the windows, lighting up a fine old paint- 
ing on the wall, and leaving a dash of brightness on 
27* 



318 



a rosewood coffin which stood in the centre of the 
room. Her young companions of former occasions 
are again around her with swollen eyes and quiver- 
ing lips. Approach with us, dear reader, and we 
will contemplate her now, as we did then. She looks 
as lovely now as in the reciter eJie toilet in which 
we last beheld her. Flowers, fresh flowers, deck 
her bosom, and a coronal of spring blossoms rests 
against her waxen temples. The sanie high, fair 
forehead, with the blue veins crossing it, — but the 
light golden curls are pushed far back and gathered 
up into a knot behind. The lids are draAvn down 
over the soft shy eye, the long lashes rest on the 
cheek, and the strange smile that curves her lips has 
none of the sadness bathing the shut eyelids. The 
same transparently fair complexion, but there is the 
faintest tinge of blue instead of the warm, generous 
heart-tide which belonged to it on the former occa- 
sion. The white hands lay as they have been placed 
— their tapering tips crossing each other on her still 
bosom. 

Oh what a wealth of love, and youth, and hope, 
and joy lie in that coffin ! What sweet attributes of 
gentleness, modesty, and kindness 1 

As the deep, rich voice of Dr. Cummins falls 
upon the ear, "Tarn the resurrection and the life^'" 
soblike bursts of grief mingle with the sound, and 
her companions turn away, leaving tears upon the 
icy cheeks and forehead. 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 319 

As we write, the sunset lays rosy and still on the 
public grounds ; the trees and shrubbery stretch far 
away, edged with a golden gleam and a fringe of 
shadows. The lilac-trees and the dewy-edged vio- 
lets that have been the friend of her childish years, 
from which many a nosegay has been enriched, wave 
in the sunshine and smile up at the soft, blue sky ; 
dew-spangled buds are peeping out in every direc- 
tion, life waking all around; but for sweet Lizzie 
Dahlgreen, the still, silent grave ! 

And yet there is a pause in sorrow, when we think 
that she, who has dropped quietly into the grave as 
a leaf to the ground, is in heaven. The passing 
away of this sweet spirit gives a new attractiveness 
to that bright home whither she has gone. In that 
better world of glory, whose mysteries of companion- 
ship we are not allowed to penetrate, she will indeed 
hear that beloved voice which, as the haze of death 
stole over her, sounded in her ear, / hear my mother 
calling me! What visions of beatific happiness 
must have passed before her dying gaze ! 

" There, loving eyes are to the portals straying; 
There, arms extend, a wanderer to enfold; 
There, waits a dearer, holier One, arraying 

His own in spotless robes and crowns of gold." 

P. S. — Miss D. was the niece of Mr. Dahlgreen, 
of Natchez, Mississippi. 



320 



LXXXIII. 

SCENE IN THE HOUSE. 

Washington, Mat, 1858. 

Poets have conspired for years to deck May with 
sunshine and freshness. "May" is indeed a violet- 
scented word, which causes the most unimaginative 
reader to dream of green fields. Alas ! for our sad 
reality of this month of flowers ! 

We have the month of May, it is true, but not 
Chaucer's, — warm, poetical, sunny, fresh, conveying 
the heavy perfume of honeysuckles and violets. Our 
May is chilly ; one moment the sun is out in his 
brightness ; the next, raining as if the world was 
threatened with a second deluge, the gutters swell- 
ing into brooks, every hollow in the street a pool, 
and every spout an avalanche. 

This state of the weather renders the close and 
poisonous atmosphere of the House and Senate more 
endurable ; and, in company with a friend, we de- 
termined, last week, to brave its stifling heat once 
more. 

We found an "honorable member," on the Re- 
publican side of the House, rattling on in a speech 
full of denunciations of Mr. Buchanan, the fiercest 
anathemas against those who were supposed to be 
favorable to him, and tremendous warnings to North- 
ern members to beware of permitting themselves 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 321 

to be influenced in their course out of any false com- 
plaisance to the Administration. 

We think these side-thrusts were intended for Mr. 
English, Avhose defection seems to affect the Republi- 
can members variously, according to their previous 
estimate of his probity. Many declare they blush 
for his infidelity to his party, others never would 
have thought it, and others all along expected it. 
We sat aghast at the speaker's universal know- 
ledge. Why, he unveiled the remotest secrets of 
the firmament ; coolly analyzed volcanoes, as though 
their glowing lava were soap-suds ! No mine so deep, 
no ocean so vast, but his mind compassed it round 
about, or dived into its darkest recesses. Finally, 
he came back to "bleeding Kansas" and the rights 
of the people, and, at last, broke down, (looking 
daggers toward the White House,) to the satisfaction 
of his impatient listeners. 

At the end of this debate up started another 
speaker, who, having nothing to say, was manly and 
candid ; he gave credit to his adversaries and took 
credit to himself, and then the motion before the 
House was withdrawn. 

While all this was going on, some consulted a book, 
and some their ease ; some yawned, a few slept ; 
and, on the whole, there was an air about this tem- 
pestuous body which can be witnessed in no other in 
America. Even the most indifferent looked as if he 
would come forward if the occasion should demand 



322 LIFE IN WASHINGTON, AND 

him ; and the most imbecile, as if he could serve his 
country if it required him. 

Passing over to the Senate, we found Mr. 

on the floor. The amiability of this gentleman is 
very remarkable. Exposed in the Senate to the 
broadsides of a powerful opposition, he never loses 
his patience. His temper seems a sort of granite, 
upon which they may hammer for hours without 
eliciting a spark. He is one of the heavy pieces of 
ordnance invaluable to his party in certain emergen- 
cies. When vexatious questions are presented by 
Democrats, he is always ready to rise and generalize 
with plausibilities, while the stunned party recovers 
its senses and gathers itself up for a reply ; a sort 
of moral point d' argue, giving breathing space to 
the solos. It is difficult to rate too highly this spe- 
cies of impassibility in a public man. In the Senate 
or House he whose shrinking susceptibility betrays 
his vulnerable point attracts such incessant showers 
of arrows that he has neither leisure nor self-posses- 
sion for the accomplishment of his party-purposes. 



LXXXIV. 



BRILLIANT ENTERTAINMENT AT LORD NAPIER'S ON VICTORIA'S 
BIRTHDAY. 

Washington, May, 1858. 

A BRILLIANT entertainment to celebrate Victoria's 
birthday, came off last evening at the residence of 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 323 

the British Ambassador, Lord Napier. It was pre- 
faced by a week's announcement, and, during that 
period, the fair world w^ere on the qui vive, seeming 
to fancy that this fete was intended as a sort of 
beauty review. 

"We reached the house about ten o'clock, the door 
of w^hich was opened Vfiih prodigious eclat, to its 
extreme extent, by an English butler with a general 
aspect of great dignity. At the head of the stair- 
case a group of attendant servants stood in waiting 
to usher the guests into what a New York advertise- 
ment would call a "lofty dressing-room," fitted up, 
not "^ la Louis XIV.," for there was a homelike 
air of domestic elegance there which was not Pa- 
risian. By the side of a broad, full-length mirror, 
which swung on silver hinges, was a dressing-case, 
with all the implements, mounted in massive silver, 
and engraved with the coronet and initials of Lady 
Napier. In a tiny rosewood book-rack, reposed 
half a dozen miniature volumes, which, on glancing 
ove::, we found to be a Bible, "Practical Religion," 
"Mount of Olivet," "Paradise of the Christian 
Soul," "Life of Dean Ramsey," "A Child's Cate- 
chism," and the "Christian Year." 

Ninia Napier was written in a clear, Italian hand, 
on the fly-leaf of each volume. 

This will let our distant readers into some know- 
ledge of the character of the gentle occupant of that 
mansion. On descending to the reception parlor, 



324 



we found Lady Napier, (the Ninia of the dressing- 
room,) in an exquisite dress of mousseline de soi; her 
hair encircled with a wreath of water-lilies, and sur- 
mounted by a dazzling tiara of diamonds and eme- 
ralds intermingled. Though by this time familiarized 
somewhat with the aspect of fashionable life here, 
we were not prepared for the brilliant scene that 
now awaited us. The thrones and principalities of 
Europe shone forth in all the splendor of full '' Court 
dress." Near an exquisite alabaster bust of Wash- 
ington Lord Napier stood, in a costume that glit- 
tered with gold lace, wrought in the most gorgeous 
and elaborate manner; while not far off the Ambas- 
sador of the Imperial "Court of Russia" (Baron 
Stoeckl) appeared in a coat magnificently de- 
corated with silver lace, and a slouched drawing- 
room hat, ornamented with a curled ostrich plume. 
Louis Napoleon's distinguished mouth-piece pre- 
sented a still more striking and characteristic aspect, 
with a bright cherry-colored badge, which crossed a 
coat that literally blazed with imperial "stars" and 
"orders." 

Among the throng of attaches of the different 
legations, who are fated to progress, like a child 
learning its alphabet, from capital to capital, we 
notice the stately figure of the Secretary of the 
British Embassy, Mr. Hope, late a gallant officer in 
the Crimea, whose left breast was studded with 
medals, the gift of the Queen, for his bravery in 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 325 

some action. The ladj of this gentleman is very 
lovely in person, with soft eyes gracing a counte- 
nance worthy alike of a diamond coronet or a gar- 
land of roses. 

Representatives o^the army and navy — command- 
ers and captains — were in full uniform; and, with 
the waving of plumes, resplendence of uniforms, 
blazing of diamonds, and glitter of foreign stars and 
orders, nothing could be more imposing. In the 
music-room, allured by the air of Crod Save the 
Queen, we found material for a book of beauty in 
as many volumes as there are novels of Mr. James. 
The spirit of beauty might have been pleased to sit 
invisibly on one of the gilded chairs there. To the 
pure and true eye that appreciates the divinity of the 
form after which woman is made, it were a feast to 
see the perfection of shape, color, motion, and coun- 
tenance there. Complexions which betrayed their 
transparency in the flood of softened light which 
streamed through ground-glass shades ; lips in which 
the blood was translucent, and cheeks finer-grained 
than alabaster. Female beauty must have been in 
less perfection at Athens, in the days of Lais, than 
in that music-room. 

Among the fairest who were soon moving to the 
music of the " Lancers," was the lady of the Sena- 
tor' from Illinois, so eminent in beauty that, even 
amid this throng of loveliness, she could be distin- 

28 



326 



guished as a planet is distinguisliable in the starriest 
sky. The light fell full upon the heavenly shape 
and whiteness of her shoulders and bust, displaying 
a form worthy to realize the poet's dream of Cleo- 
patra. 

Mrs. was attended by Mr. Bantinetti, in 

full Court dress, — a gentleman who manoeuvres 
the international relations between Sardinia and 
America. Near him might be seen the interesting 
family of a distinguished member from Virginia, 
(Mr. Faulkner,) the mother in a dress of blue silk, 
with superb flounces of Mecklin lace, and the two 
daughters (one a young married lady) in exqui- 
site dresses of white illusion, which encircled their 
figures like snow-wreaths. The young, bright, inno- 
cent-looking face of the younger sister impressed us 
with admiration of its freshness and purity. 

Among the guests we saw the genial face of the 
Speaker of the House, Mr. Orr, who, when he throws 
aside the toga of public life, throws it off completely; 
and Miss Lane, in white, with a lovely wreath of 
white clematis encircling her hair; and the Vice- 
President, Mr. Breckenridge, who passes for one of 
the best bred men in Washington ; and Mrs. B., the 
gentlest of wives and mothers. Mr. Russell, a fine- 
looking man, in Court dress, an attache of the Eng- 
lish Legation, and nephew of Lord John Bussell; at- 
tracted much attention. Mr. R. speaks with ele- 
gance several languages, and is known as a fine 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 327 

singer. Mrs. Priiigl£,_[iif Charleston, appeared in a 
robe of very elegant material, tlie flounces edged 
with lemon-colored velvet. We also observed the 
member from South Carolina, Gen. McQueen, who 
is prominent in our social circles as a good husband^ 
an unfashionable qualification, perhaps, but one which 
we cannot help respecting. We noticed the eminent 
banker, Mr. R-iggs, of the firm of Corcoran & Riggs, 
a gentleman whose word is able to influence the Ex- 
change of any city on this continent, and in whose 
strong boxes are deposited half the title-deeds of 
half the millionaires in our country. 

The beau of the evening was (guess who ?) not the 
refined and gentlemanly member from Charleston; 
nor his dashing colleague, who can interpret the ele- 
vation of an eyebrow and the curl of a lip ; nor the 
bachelor from North Carolina, who has so recently 
become a fraction of the Senate, and wears his dig- 
nities with becoming gravity, — not one of these reign- 
ing stars, but William Napier, a beautiful boy of 
eleven years, whose gallantry might be copied by 
the bearded children. 

" Oh ! may those enshrouded years 
Whose fair dawn alone appears, — 
May that brightly budding life, 
Knowing yet no sin or strife, 
Bring its store of hoped-for joy, 
Mother, to thy mild-eyed boy. 
And the good thou dost impart 
Lie deep-treasured in his heart." 



328 



An intellectual-looking person in plain black cloth, 
the English tutor of Lord N.'s sons, — who, we are 
told, is an "M.A.," which must mean something 
very incomprehensible, for we have never been able 
to interpret the letters otherwise than "More Anon," 
— is of promised preferment. 

We recognized among the guests the refined face 
of the Secretary of the Navy, Mr. Toucey, whose 
private character presents a model of excellence for 
public men. 

There was also present Mr. Lamar, of Mississippi, 
whose maiden speech during the present winter made 
a decided sensation ; and Commodore Breese, of the 
Navy, with whom we had a chat on that engrossing 
subject — the Navy Bill ; and Mrs. Crittenden, in a 
superb ''moire antique" of the most delicate pea- 
green tint, with point-lace Bertha. 

We might speak of the elegance displayed in the 
arrangements of the supper-room, the glittering vista 
of silver plate, and the more than epicurean dainti- 
ness of the delicacies. The wine was such as the 
gallant Ambassador from Mexico (in Court dress of 
crimson and gold, with drawing-room chapeau) de- 
clared superior to all his past experience, and a 
Spanish attache protested that the Port must have 
been subtracted from his own Peninsular cellars. 

Y^e regret that indisposition prevented us from 
giving our readers a description of a brilliant Souee 
Musicale given by Lady Napier on the evening of 



/ 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 329 

the first of Maj. The spacious drawing-room was 
converted into a temporary concert-room, with some 
twenty performers. Beautiful airs from Traviata 
and Ernani were performed with thrilling effect. 
The company owe much to the musical taste of Lady 
N. in this fine reclierche affair. 



LXXXV. 



BRIDAL PAllTT AT JUDGE BLACK'S, ON THE OCCASION OF HIS 
DAUGHTER'S MARRIAGE. 

Washington, Mat, 1858. 

A PORTION of our fashionable world have been 
for the last month excited to the highest pitch of 
eagerness in preparation for Mrs. Gwin's "fancy 
ball." Many of our ladies have exhausted them- 
selves in elegant conceits for the occasion. Dresses 
of every description, in the shape of brocaded skirts, 
satin basques, black mode and lace shawls, have been 
by armfuls laid under contribution. Maids have 
been summoned to give information respecting the 
resources of hid-away trunks, and select committees 
appointed in the homes of the young and beautiful. 
Many a fair exclusive continued to lisp her declara- 
tion "that she had not made up her mind with re- 
spect to her costume," many days after the said 
costume had been snugly deposited in her drawers. 
28* 



330 LIFE IN WASHINGTONj AND 

On the evening of tlie eightli of April the dress- 
ing-rooms of our city exhibited scenes like those 
we fancy rising up at the spell of a magical incan- 
tation — visions of men and women celebrated in 
times of fiction and fact — goddesses and heroes, 
shepherdesses and hunters, crusaders and nobles, 
kings and queens ; costumes of every nation, whose 
wearers would probably have scorned the idea of 
bending in homage before the crowned head of the 
greatest of earth's potentates. It was understood 
that the most elaborate preparations had been made 
to render the affair brilliant; that all countries, and 
climes, and ages, were to be depicted; representa- 
tives of every class and condition — Arabs and Indi- 
ans, Circassians and Turks, Jews and Gipsies; Sena- 
tors of ancient Rome; judges and Inquisitors; soldiers 
and spruce counselors-at-law. These, it was said, 
would mingle in amicable intercourse with beings 
who have their dwellings in regions where no geo- 
grapher has intruded. Sylphs and fairies, with 
creatures who hold a kind of half-way existence be- 
tween the imaginary and the material. 

All these were on this evening to start into life; 
to produce, we should think, a bewilderment like 
that with which one looks upon a large assembly 
engaged in a dance which has no music to govern its 
movements. Some maternal scruples having kept 
us from this gay scene, we cannot give our readers a 
description of the costumes, which we understand 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 331 

were very elegant; but as some compensation, we 
will transport them to a brilliant bridal party given 
at the residence of the Attorney-General, Judge 
Black, in compliment to his daughter, who has just 
returned from her bridal tour. 

The bride and groom present a striking contrast : 
she gentle and delicate; he of a stately figure and 
imposing presence, with a look of moral and intel- 
lectual elevation. He is the son of ex-Governor 
Shunk, of Pennsylvania. 

The assemblage met to greet this interesting cou- 
ple is one of the most recherche of the season. Our 
eye falls upon nearly all the excellences of the di- 
plomatic world, — French, English, Spanish, Danish, 
Russian, and Austrian, — all engaged in conversation 
on the late European political combination. Some 
speculating on the acquittal of Bernard, which the 
mouth-piece of the French Emperor declares will 
serve as an excellent coral to assist the dentition of 
teething conspirators. 

In another direction we see Mrs. Slidell, in a flow- 
ing dress of black velvet, with a superb bandeau of 
pearls binding down her raven hair, like a queen; 
and sweet Lily M., with a shower of brown curls 
falling over her comb to her waist ; and the lady of 
the Secretary of the Interior, with Mechlin lace 
flounces falling over a rich blue silk dress; and the 
lady of the Senator from Kentucky, with her per- 
fect coiffure^ her air of society, her easy manners ; 



332 



and the amiable lady of tlie Secretary of the Trea- 
sury, in a superb blue moire antique. 

Among the guests were a group of smiling mem- 
bers, the inward hilarity consequent upon the morn- 
ing's gain of the Conference Committee in the House 
having changed their faces so that they looked really 
handsome. Among these last we see the "member" 
from Tennessee, (Col. Savage,) who is known in the 
House as a working-member, at home on all the sub- 
jects that come into daily question there, and be- 
grudging no labor for the good of his constituents. 
For the details of representative business, he is per- 
haps one of the most competent on the floor of that 
body. 



LXXXVI. 

SCENE IN THE SENATE-CHAMBER— THE KANSAS VOTE. 

Washington, Mat, 1858. 

The announcement in the morning papers yester- 
day, that the final vote on the Kansas question would 
be taken during the day, attracted the deepest inte- 
rest throughout our city. Many prepared to be 
present at a crisis which involved so much, and, at 
an early hour, private equipages, with servants in 
livery, might be seen passing rapidly up the Avenue, 
and, on the sidewalks, numerous pedestrian groups, 
all bound to the same spot. As we entered the 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 333 

Capitol gate, we could not but be struck with the 
placid beauty of the grounds, decked in the emerald 
hue of spring. Around us stretched beautiful beds, 
in which bloomed plants of every hue, peeping from 
their leafy and glassy coverts. Above rose the 
stately columns of the Capitol, with its statue- 
crowned niches, backed by the distant hills ; and, 
in the farther distance, the warm sun shone brightly 
over the roofs of the city. We found all the loung- 
ing places of the building crowded, and on the 
countenances of the curious idlers a more earnest 
expression than usual. 

In the Senate-chamber every cranny of the ladies' 
gallery was entirely filled, and the entrance com- 
pletely blocked up ; it had, indeed, been crowded, 
several hours previous to the commencement of the 
business of the day, to an extent almost unprece- 
dented. As the eye ranged around, it met nearly 
all the beauty and intelligence of the metropolis. 
The spring attire of our own sex — the gayety of 
which resembled some gaudy flower-bed ; the rustling 
of silks ; the light laughter and lighter chat, pre- 
sented a picturesque scene. In one direction might 
be seen the lovely face of the lady of the young 
Senator from Alabama, from the pure transparency 
of her skin, and the slender gracefulness of her 
figure, looking for all the world like that most spi- 
ritual of all flowering things, the lily of the valley. 
In another direction we saw the distinguished mouth- 



334 LIFE IN WASHINGTON, AND 



piece of England's Queen, — a gentleman who saves 
her gracious majesty the trouble of communicating 
her speaking-trumpet from one continent to the 
other ; not far off, Mrs. Crittenden's amiable face ; 
and near her, the lady of Senator B , of Missis- 
sippi. 

These external features are easily told ; but upon 
the floor below, the dignified assembly, which calls 
itself a great deliberative body, was considerably out 
of order. There seemed an unusual movement and 
excitement. Senators talked in knots and groups ; 
others seemed, even in the midst of this stirring 
commotion, to be lost in an abstract and distant 
reverie. On the southern side of the chamber num- 
bers were gathered around a pale, ghastly-looking 
figure, his eye bandaged with strips of white linen, his 
whole aspect presenting an appearance of feebleness 
and debility. This gentleman (Mr. Jeff. Davis) had 
come out for the first time, since his illness, to vote 
on this important measure. In another direction 
his colleague, Gov. Brown, with a flushed and ex- 
cited face, was pacing, with Senator Toombs, the 
space back of the Speaker's chair, from end to end. 
No field was ever better quartered by well-trained 
pointers, thoroughly masters of their work, than that 
crimson carpet was by those two distinguished Sena- 
tors. But it seemed not to avail them what they 
sought, for at length the former threw himself lan- 
guidly and discontentedly into a chair. 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 335 

On the opposite side of the chamber the aspect of 
things seemed ominous. Mr. Hale's jovial face was 
overcast with the most sombre expression, as if he 
were meditating suicide. 

We like to see a good broken heart or so, among 
the sterner sex, now and then ; and if the Kansas 
result should make Mr. H. a victim, we hope he will 
retire to the Great Desert, and live upon locusts and 
wild honey, for the change could not be borne here. 

Mr. , of Wisconsin, with innumerable nods 

and rapid utterances, was explaining something to 
Mr. Seward, upon whose face a look of inscrutable 
thought was resting. We could not but be struck 
with the bitterness expressed in the angry and me- 
nacing look cast from one side of the chamber to the 
other. It was a melancholy sight to see two sections 
of one great country standing in deadly opposition — 
antagonistic principles ; and our thoughts involun- 
tarily recurred to the nations of the earth that have 
passed away. How long may the ambassadors of 
foreign countries say of us "you are a great people, 
and have great power ?" 

Gov. Brown followed Mr. in a few able re- 
marks, depicting forcibly the importance of having 
this bill passed at once, adding that, although he did 
not approve of its features, yet the neglect of other 
important business was so protracted, by its continu- 
ing to agitate Congress, that he appealed to members 



336 



to aid by their vote to get rid of this annoying and 
harassing question. 

We may add, the vote was not taken until the 
following day. 



LXXXVII. 

CHILDREN'S MAY-BALL. 

Washington, Mat, 1858. 

The ball at Carusi's Saloon! It was a great event, 
and the seventh day of this month of flowers was a 
day of days to the juvenile population of Washing- 
ton. The morning dawned cheeringly, but as the 
day advanced a cloud began to float near the horizon. 
First it was white as snow, then its base became a 
faint slate color, then it gradually enlarged and 
darkened. Big drops came splashing down faster 
and faster, till they at length fell in sheeted rain. 
As evening approached, many a childish face was 
wistfully turned toward the darkening horizon. But 
the rain continued, though its violence subsided, so 
that holiday dresses were donned without much dread 
of being spoiled. Carusi's Saloon was adorned with 
such a profusion of flowers as to have the appearance 
of being fit for those sylvan nymphs who were so 
abundant in the days of yore, or for those fairy 
elves who crouch within the lids of sleeping flowers. 
The vernal throne erected for the coronation rites 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 337 

was almost hidden in leaves. Two flights of steps, 
covered with green cloth, — one on each side, — led up 
to this elevation, and a chandelier suspended above 
mingled its lustre with the lights burning beneath. 

At eight o'clock a long train of youthful forms 
entered the hall, marching with due dignity and de- 
liberation up the spacious apartment to the corona- 
tion bower. 

What rosy ranks of childish loveliness! Why, 
there was material for a book of beauty in as many 
volumes as there are novels of Mr. James ! 

Leading this bright array appeared the queen of 
the festival, who had been elected by the unanimous 
voice of her companions to the honors of the occa- 
sion. No queen, surrounded by her court, ever bore 
a loftier presence, or carried herself more royally, 
than this fair girl, who looked indeed like the royal 
bride of spring, in her white dress and regal blos- 
soms. A "May queen" is neither vanity nor amuse- 
ment proof, and as she ascended the steps she peeped 
over her shoulder, to see that the silky ringlets were 
doing nc discredit to their dainty resting-place, and 
then drew up her neck with a stately air. Oh, how 
she was envied that evening! how simple-hearted 
children lamented the vulgarity of American so- 
ciety! ''''Such a queenly air,'' sighed a little cherry- 
cheeked thing; and '''Such an air,'' came the echo 
from lip after lip, with a half-lisped finis from a baby- 
pet. 

29 



338 LIFE IN WASHINGTON, AND 

Queenly ceremonies were followed by an air from 
the band, which was the signal for dancing to com- 
mence, and soon the young masters and misses were 
bounding away in those fancy dances in which their 
teacher excels. A handsome, graceful boy, in polka 
costume, appeared whirling round to that bewitching 
tune a little gipsy-looking girl, with wild locks the 
shade of the bird that sat over Poe's chamber-door. 
These were followed by another in costume with cas- 
tanets, who went through this elaborate dance in a 
style of artistic elegance rarely equaled. La Qra- 
covienne was exquisitely danced by the veriest sun- 
beam that ever gladdened this weary world with 
beauty and with light. We would hardly have won- 
dered, as she glided through the figures "with the 
step of a fawn and the glance of a star," to have 
seen fresh flowers spring suddenly up in her way 
wherever on the happy earth those fairy footsteps 
fell. 

" Dancing ! oh, I love, I love to see 
The motion light of anything that's free ! 
The bird mounts upward on exulting wing, 
The brook leaps laughing from its crystal spring." 

The little crown-hearer was a lovely child of six 
years, with large soft eyes and fair hair, which fell 
in light curls nearly to her waist. Her male com- 
panion, the sceiotre-hearer^ a plump, laughing urchin, 
who seemed fully to appreciate the artless sweetness 
of his little friend. Before the party broke up we 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 339 

witnessed, in the cloaking-room, the assiduous devo- 
tion of this same little crown-bearer's companion. 
He smoothed back her glossy, clustering curls, tied 
the strings under her dimpled chin ; and then — 
would you believe it ? — (I know you won't, for the 
fact seems too great an enormity,) attempted to kiss 
the sweet, smiling mouth. The little coquette in 
miniature showered her sunny hair over her eyes, and 
put her dimpled hands upon her lips ; but the laugh- 
ing boy stole the kiss nevertheless, evincing a per- 
severance which bearded children do not disdain 
sometimes to imitate. 

The ceremony of the coronation was performed 
by one of the girlish throng, who encircled the brow 
of her "royal highness" with a crown of rose-buds. 

For ourselves, it carried us back into the past, 
and shadowy reminiscences of the earlier days of our 
own summer came creeping over our mind. 

Yes, it was one of those quiet country seats which 
are the pleasantest spots in Delaware, that we had 
won and worn our laurels as 3Iay Queen. Ah ! 
again we see the gathering groups of children upon 
the velvet lawn in the " ambrosial darkness of 
broad-branching elms." We can yet feel the warm 
sunshine of that quiet day; we, chiefest of all, 
saluted, as we passed, by the homage of admiring 
glances. We hear still sounding the girldish voices 
that rang gayly and festally that day ; and how shall 
we forget the exquisite delight and excitement with 



340 



which we received the coronal of flowers, and as- 
cended the rural throne, almost hidden in leaves and 
flowers, over which the trees arched and walled with 
green. In that moment, almost crushed with bloom- 
ing honors, we did not envy Victoria, nor believe 
that a sweeter triumph was ever won. 

Ah! that soft, country day, and we the focus of 
a hundred girldish eyes — the memory of that day 
makes May in our mind forever ! 

About nine o'clock, at a signal from the teacher's 
telescopic eye, a childish form appeared, so light, so 
pure, so airily graceful, that we held our breath to 
see. Bending her head, and with her spiritual eyes 
upturned as if in waiting rapture, a strain of low 
music rose softly on the air, and she commenced the 
difficult dance oi La Sylphide^ with an air of child- 
ish elegance rarely seen. Her diminutive feet, as 
she glided through the figure, scarcely touched the 
floor; and as she sprang, flying away to the livelier 
measures of the band, they were scarcely visible, 
fluttering indistinctly like humming-birds' wings. 
That child's image remains in our mind like that of 
the Madonna in the oratory of a religious devotee. 

Turning from the bright and happy faces of the 
children, we met on every side the delighted looks 
of their parents, or brothers and sisters, who formed 
a large portion of the spectators; for this festival, 
though nominally and by custom given to children, 
is witnessed and enjoyed by those of older growth. 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 341 

The joyous troops of youthful dancers, before eleven 
o'clock arrived, were resigned into the hands of ser- 
vants in waiting, and in a little while were at home, 
no doubt soundly sleeping, dancing in dreams at a 
May hall that had no ending, and with tireless part- 
ners. 



LXXXVIII. 

EVENING PAKTY TO MR. EVERETT AT LORD NAPIER'S. 

Washington, June, 1858. 

As people on the point of death often make a des- 
perate rally, so this, the most brilliant of seasons, is 
even more lively as it approaches its end. Small 
select evening parties and dinners succeed each other 
with the rapidity of the final scenes in a pantomime. 

One of the most brilliant of these parties came off 
last evening at the mansion of the English Minister, 
Lord Napier, given in compliment to Mr. Everett, 
who leaves to-day for the South. Suspended in the 
dressing-room to which our party were shown by an 
English footman in canary-colored livery, was a 
beautiful family group of Lady N. and children, the 
extreme delicacy of outline and tint plainly indi- 
cating that it was from Brady's masterly hand. On 
descending, we found in the lofty suite of rooms a 
choice assembly of persons of the highest considera- 
tion, from whom all the stiffness of metropolitan so- 
29* 



342 



ciety seemed to have disappeared. It would be a 
task worthy of the New York Illustrated News to 
illustrate the superb apartment we entered — a minia- 
ture "East Room," its walls graced with a full-length 
portrait of Queen Victoria represented at the climax 
of youthful loveliness, in crown, sceptre, and royal 
robes. 

The air of this delightfully-ventilated room was 
fragrant with a superb vase of rare flowers, which 
formed a conspicuous object on a flower-stand in the 
centre of the room, their bright hues and fragrant 
odors gratefully repaying the attention lavished upon 
them. The soft light from clusters of wax candles 
fell upon a hundred gorgeous objects, magnificent 
vases, marble tables, canary-colored damask curtains, 
and all the splendid pietra dura and marqueterie. 
But there was one permanent inhabitant of this man- 
sion far more interesting to us than the downy soft- 
ness of the rich carpet under our feet, or the glitter 
of the splendid lustres over our head, or the rich 
nothings which surrounded us on every side. It was 
the gentle hostess, who, with a wreath of white and 
crimson japonicas encircling her head, and in a rich 
white silk, embroidered in rosebuds, moved among 
her guests. 

In the centre of a group of gentlemen and ladies 
stood Mr. Everett, placid and serene as usual. After 
an interesting conversation with this gentleman, we 
turned to survey the faces about us. 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 343 

Here was the lady of the distinguished Senator 
from Kentucky, Mrs. Crittenden, all the political 
and diplomatic world flocking to compliment and 
congratulate her on the very able speech of her hus- 
band, made in the Senate during the day. Here, 
too, was Sir Gore Ouseley, with his somewhat husky, 
downright 7iaivete of manner ; and the bachelor mem- 
ber from South Carolina, Col. Keit, devoted to the 
society of the ladies, and knowing how to turn every 
woman's head without ever losing his own. Apropos 
of the "bachelor members," they must look to their 
laurels, for a new Richmond has appeared upon the 
field — a member from Charleston, who threatens to 
take the sceptre from their grasp. And here, too, 
we see the daughter of the high-minded Senator from 
our own little State, Mabel Bayard, of Delaware, in 
a double dress of tulle, looking so nymphlike ; and 
her lovely mother, w^ho wins all hearts by the en- 
gaging gentleness of her character. Ah ! they carry 
us back to our early home, and to the violets and 
marigolds on the Brandywine, and the woods in that 
rustic solitude where all was green, and still, and 
sweet, or where the only sound was falling water or 
fluttering birds ! No more, ah ! never more to us 
those happy hours shall return ! 

Here, too, is the lady of the distinguished Senator 
from California, Mrs. Gwin, dressed with a richness 
and elegance which even the fastidious William could 
not tax with an error of taste ; and not far ofi" is Gen. 



344 



Harney, with one of the favorites of society here, 
(Miss Pleasonton,) on his arm. And here, too, is our 
sweet friend, Miss Saunders, still the same graceful, 
kind-hearted girl ; her nature as heartfelt and genu- 
ine as when she arrived here. And the lady of the 
Brazilian Minister, Madame Albeynerz ; her face 
might not satisfy a critical eye, but its expression is 
to us exquisitely lovely, and her manners eminently 
prepossessing. The daughter of this lady has a 
classical Italian face, which recalls to our mind sta- 
tues and fountains, fair columns and dim aisles in 
foreign churches. And here, too, is Mrs. Zulee, one ^ 
of the three beautiful daughters of a former Post- 
master-General, Mr. Wickliffe, with eyes shaped and 
colored as we see them in Raphael's lovely pictures. 
And the Attorney-General, with his fine Pennsylva- 
nia constitution, and his large, strong, and warm 
heart ; and his gentle daughter, with her glossy ring- 
lets, she is not here. 

Yes, dear reader, we have had a love match in 
Washington, a quiet, cozy family-wedding, the Pre- 
sident and niece the only guests, — and the Attor- 
ney-General's daughter is Miss Black no longer. 
While flattered and sought after by the gay world, 
the private Secretary of her father, a young gentle- 
man with little but fine talents and estimable quali- 
ties, carried ofi* the prize which others were striving 
to win. Sweet girl ! may the fire on her domestic 
altar never burn dim; may she keep all home feel- 



^ 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 345 

ings pure and sacred ; and may the chain of love that 
passes round her home never be tarnished by the 
breath of coldness or contention ! 



LXXXIX. 



SOCIAL PARTIES— SCENE IN THE HOUSE ON THE TEST VOTE ON 
THE KANSAS QUESTION. 

Washington, June, 1858. 

What in Washington are technically designated 
'■'' evening receptions" we are no longer compelled to 
endure, but have agreeably substituted small social 
parties. One of the most delightful of these came 
off at the residence of the accomplished correspond- 
ent of the New Orleans Delta, Mr. Evans, a gentle- 
man who was the bearer of the " Clarendon Treaty," 
and has had commissions of great trust reposed in 
him by our government. 

On entering the parlors at an early hour, we found 
a circle of charming people. There was Sir Gore 
Ouseley, tall and robust, who, it is said, can trace 
his family through a hundred years of English kings. 

And there, too, was the lady of the Postmaster- 
General, Mrs. A. V. Brown, in a rich blue satin 
dress, with superb flounces of point lace — lace which 
a Pope, in his highest day of festival, might have 
coveted. But it is not on her richness of dress or 



346 



her personal beauty tliat our pen delights to dwell 
when referring to this inestimable woman. We 
would like, dear reader, if we could, without infring- 
ing on the sacredness of private intercourse, to speak 
of the personal qualities of one of the noblest and 
best of her sex — one who, as a mother, wife, and 
friend, stands, we think, without a rival. We hope 
this will not be regarded as merely the impression of 
our partiality or enthusiasm. All who are admitted 
to a view of her inner-life will say the same. The 
women of Tennessee may feel proud of her, for she 
reflects credit upon that noble State, and is rich in 
qualities of heart that truly place her above the ma- 
jority of her sex. 

And Lady Ouseley was there, with a winning ele^ 
gance of manner which could not fail to gain atten- 
tion ; and her sister, Mrs. Judge Roosevelt, of New 
York, a queenly-looking woman in velvet and dia- 
monds. 

There, too, we found the veritable Jack Hayes^ 
looking as if he were fit to reconquer Texas, and a 
lady at his side, as if she were worthy to reward him 
for his valor. And not far off the beautiful wife of 
Senator Dickson, from Connecticut's bleakest bound, 
who is reveling in what she calls our Southern clime; 
and her young friend from New Jersey, with tur- 
quoise ornaments, and a blue garland which particu- 
larly becomes her Saxon beauty. Beside this belle 
blonde we found our charming friend of the Cabinet 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 347 

coterie, who goes about breaking hearts, and leaving 
other people to pick up the bits. 

On a sofa the stately Senator from Texas (Gen. 
Houston) sat, absorbed in the contemplation of a 
heart which he had whittled to this sentimental form 
for the niece of our host, Mrs. L., of Galveston, a 
girlish figure, with a lovely high-bred face, and large, 
soft, shadowy eyes. This charming person is the 
daughter of Mrs. B., of Texas, a lady poetess well 
known to our Southern readers, whose scattered 
gems are being collected in book-form by a leading 
publisher. 

Here, too, was one of the trio of inexorable ''bache- 
lor members," against whom our belles have for some 
time employed their sublimest efforts — the entire bat- 
tery of their glances. 

The Kansas question is not yet settled. We are 
like the Israelites in the wilderness ; every day we 
seem on the verge of the promised land, and every 
evening we are as far from it as ever. 

The anticipation of the test vote on the Senate bill 
drew together an immense crowd on Thursday last. 
The families of all of our distinguished statesmen, 
members of the foreign legations, brilliant belles, and 
most of our best residents, were drawn together to 
witness the important scene. After an hour of pub- 
lic time had been properly wasted in a sparring de- 
bate, carried on by the opposite siders of the House, 
who, like the populace of Rome during the carnival, 



848 LIFE IN WASHINGTON, AND 

rapped each other down with flints formed into the 
semblance of sugar-plums, the Speaker announced 
the ^es^ vote as about to.be taken. The effect of 
that announcement was electrical. There was an in- 
stant suspension of conversation in the galleries ; the 
thronged house became hushed as death ; ejes were 
strained, and lorgnettes leveled upon the floor. The 
scene there was most impressive. The light streamed 
in softened beauty through the ground-glass ceiling, 
and fell upon a mass of bowed heads, each member 
busy with paper and pencil recording the vote. There 
seemed an unusual solemnity in the voice of the read- 
ing clerk as he called each name. This, with the 
"Ay" or "No" of response, was the only sound 
that fell upon the listening ears of fifteen hundred 
spectators. 

As the vote was drawing near conclusion, we 
could not but observe the significant aspect of things 
below us; it was impossible to avoid being struck 
with the general look of triumph on the Republican 
side of the hall, and from their attitudes and counte- 
nances it was evident that the result was in their fa- 
vor. Mr. stretched his figure up against his 

desk in an exulting manner. Mr. , of North 

Carolina, (we wonder our pen does not refuse to re- 
cord it,) elevated his hands, and clasped them over 

his head in a defiant manner ; while Mr. smiled 

and whispered to his neighbor. 

The aspect of the members in our immediate vi- 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 349 

cinitj — the Southern side of the house — was, if pos- 
sible, still more significant, though of a wholly differ- 
ent character. Pencils were thrown abruptly aside. 
Mr. Boyce, of South Carolina, sat listlessly, his arms 
drooping on his desk. Mr. Lamar, of Mississippi, 
arose and stretched himself as if his attitude was in- 
supportable. Mr. Stephens, of Georgia, seemed in 
deep and painful meditation. Gen. Clark's (of Mis- 
souri) face looked sullen and stern ; while Houston's 
(of Alabama) aspect had the moveless melancholy of 
an antique statue. Col. Keit hitched, and fidgeted, 
and twisted one limb around its brother in a somewhat 
incomprehensible fashion. 

In the midst of this death-like stillness. Speaker 
Orr's clear, distinct, ringing voice, which seemed 
to make our ears tingle and our sight grow dim, 
announced the result. The spectacle became still 
more significant as a burst of applause rose from 
the Republicans. As that discordant sound fell 
upon the ears of the Southern members, Stephens's 
ghastly face became more ghastly, even to the lips. 
Gen. McQueen's forehead and features glowed with 
a feverish crimson. Gen. Clark's color changed, 
and he grew deadly pale. Lamar jerked himself 
into another posture ; and Garret, of Virginia, gazed 
steadily up in the gallery, from whence the sound 
proceeded; while Col. Keit, with clenched hands, 
sprang to his feet and ordered the Speaker to have 
the galleries cleared, looking as if he would willingly 
30 



350 LIFE IN WASHINGTON, AND 

have issued orders at that moment for the construc- 
tion of a gibbet fifty cubits high to exterminate the 
Mordecai of his abhorrence. 

During a residence in Washington of some six 
years, we have never witnessed so exciting a scene, 
so imposing a spectacle. A vast hall, with seats ris- 
ing row upon row, and filled with fifteen hundred 
human beings, intent upon no fictitious representa- 
tion, no tragedy of the stage, but the victory or de- 
feat of a great principle involving constitutional 
right. Can those Southern members who have voted 
against this measure realize the magnitude, the fear- 
ful responsibility which they have incurred ? It is 
a solemn task to compute the results which may flow 
from their defeat of this bill. Have they been faith- 
ful to the principles on which our Union is framed ? 
faithful to the Constitution which distributes the va- 
lidity, while it secures the unity of the whole ? Their 
vote has gone forth to the country ; they have assumed 
a responsibility which can be shifted to no one else. 
The result must show whether they have not con- 
tributed to paralyze the energies of their own sec- 
tion, planting discord and confusion. 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 351 

xc. 

SCENE IN THE HOUSE ON THE DAY OF ADJOURNMENT. 

Washingtox, June, 1858. 

It had been rumored that Congress would posi- 
tively adjourn on each of the four days of the last 
week ; but, like the Israelites in the wilderness, 
every day we seemed on the verge of Pisgah, and 
every evening as far from it as ever. 

But the announcement in the morning papers yes- 
terday that the adjournment had been officially fixed 
for that day drew a large number of spectators to 
the galleries. We joined a party of friends, and 
reached the Capitol grounds about one o'clock. The 
air was all astir with life ; the delicious fragrance of 
the beds ; the tall stems of the tulips, whose buds 
disclosed the pale-green leaflets within ; and bushes 
bright with snow-white blossoms, afforded some ex- 
cuse for the exulting notes of the birds, who were 
making a delightful fuss about the return of summer. 

The lower part of the grounds were deserted; 
even the omnibus agents, whose business tied them 
down to the gate, looked as if they would gladly 
partake of what was going on above. 

In the Rotunda little pages were scudding from the 
House to the Senate, their arms filled with vast piles 
of documents. Congressional records, etc. In the 
little ante-room, adjoining the Rotunda, the ^'pic- 



352 



ture-boy" stood, as usual, with one or two graphic 
likenesses suspended in imposing dignity, but no 
longer attracting loungers to satiate their curiosity 
with a survey of the internal marvels of which the 
suspended engraving was the outward sign. 

As we passed along to the galleries, we glanced in 
at the open door of one of the " Committee-rooms," 
where all was confusion ; whole lanes of books 
seemed to have overflowed the book-cases, and were 
wandering in confusion over the floor : ponderous 
government works, solidly bound, and others, lighter 
in structure, as if the inmates were preparing for a 
"move." 

In the Old Hall two or three of the smallest 
pages — sweet little fellows in white jackets and cam- 
bric collars — had taken advantage of the general 
confusion, and were amusing themselves with great 
glee, — one on a tin trumpet, a farewell present from 
some amiable " Hon.," on which he was performing 
with more delight to himself than to his hearers ; 
another discharging the ramrod of a pop-gun with 
great efiect, causing a general nervousness to per- 
vade the little group. 

Within the House Hall we found increased con- 
fusion and clamor. The Clerk's stentorian voice 
reading aloud "bills" as rapidly as they were to be 
hurried through; "members" darting up and down; 
while others were quietly seated, disemboweling the 
contents of their desks. Among the latter was one 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 353 

individual who presented a striking contrast to the 
flaccid cravats, disheveled heads, and disordered 
toilets around. There \Yas about him an air of re- 
finement which was not suited to that turbulent 
throng, which indicated to us that he was more of a 
scholar and dreamer than a politician. When we 
entered (his seat was immediately below us) he was 
occupied in clearing out his desk, looking over the 
heaps of letters it contained, some of which, from 
their appearance, seemed invitations; letters from 
constituents, massive missives from " Claim Agents," 
etc., were put methodically together in a pile. 

He still continued searching among the heaps of 
papers, until he lighted upon a small missive with a 
superscription which seemed to arrest his attention. 
It was a lady's hand-writing. We thought we could 
see the delicate little crow-quill touches, and it was 
certainly w^orn to a diaphanous slightness by inces- 
sant reference. The sight of this seemed to inspire 
reverie, for he sat several moments, with a vague and 
abstracted dreaminess of eye, gazing on the snowy 
envelope, then carefully placed it in his coat pocket, 
while the other packages were given to a page, who 
carried them out. 

It is not necessary to tell our readers that this 
"Hon." is a bachelor member. The contrast this 
little scene affords to the matter-of-fact married 
member seated near him sufficiently indicated it. 
The unsentimental manner in which the latter heaps 
30* 



354 



LIFE IN WASHINGTON, AND 



up a pile of letters from his absent wife plainly 
shows that for him the sentiment and romance of 
life is ended. 

Among those who were most quietly busy in at- 
tending to the closing business of the House, we 
noticed the member from South Carolina, General 
McQueen, a gentleman whose sound head and mo- 
dest bearing seem to be appreciated, even among his 
more brilliant contemporaries. Happy the constitu- 
ency that send such men to Congress ! 

It is whispered that a highly-talented member of 
the religious world is to carry off the prize of one of 
our most courted belles. Oh what a falling off for 
our fashionable beaux ! To be refused for a man 
unknown in their circle, who wears a short-waisted 
coat ! It is too much. Was it for this they excru- 
ciated themselves in tight boots ? To be " given the 
mitten" for a man who walks with his ears buried 
in his collar ! All the world seem in league to fling 
it in their teeth. 



XCI. 

CLOSE OF THE SEASON. 



AYashington, June, 1858. 

The gay season is over ; parties are over ; Gautier 

lays no more suppers ; and Mrs. boasts only 

one or two party-berthes in her bay window. An 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. abb 

end to endless visits and endless visitors. An end 
to Gitting's countless dinners, and half a dozen pri- 
vate parties of a night. 

It is the time when business grows dull, and busi- 
ness-men duller ; it is the time that " William " loveth 
not, and Miss Wilson cannot abide — though the first 
may be consoled by the ghosts of departed ribbons 
and the last by visions of summer party-dresses. 

The winter has been one of unprecedented bril- 
liancy. We do not suppose that a Cabinet has at 
any time boasted among its members so many ex- 
amples of beauty and elegance, or a season in Wash- 
ington so many magnificent entertainments. But 
these enjoyments are over, and now come the draw- 
backs. Pecuniary cares intrude into the minds of 
many who remember with a shudder that the "end 
of the season" is assigned as the time of payment. 
Our belles become perplexed by a thousand vague 
presentiments. Every single knock at the door 
seems annunciatory of some trifling hill, some small 
account. They have preternatural warnings of lists 
of unpaid items for ribbons, needles, perfumery, and 
all the contemptible nothings of a lady's department; 
and then standing bills, — but it is needless to an- 
ticipate. The sentence of not at Jiome is framed at 
this season in contradiction to the usual terms, and 
runs, no exclusion except on business. 

Political dinner-givers now know to a fraction the 
value of Hock, and cost of private dishes. On com- 



356 LIFE IN WASHINGTON, AND 

ing in they find wafered letters lying on hall tables 
bearing their superscription, flourished in all the 
suspicious perfections of the clerkly art. When they 
venture to unfold the dreaded page, it is to behold 
those tremendous perpendicular columns, marshaled 
in fatal array and dated with accurate and insulting 
minuteness, which are more terrible to the eye than 
were columns of the British forces to the imperial 
fugitive of Waterloo. 

At post-hour the postman brings a pile of brown 
enveloped letters, which, upon opening, they find to 
be very unsatisfactory fac-similes of the other mis- 
sives, containing expressions of gratitude for past 
favors, w^ith a "small account," which they conceive 
it must be agreeable to look over and settle at this 
time. The united enormity of these debts render a 
chapter on finance highly necessary. 

To many a belle this season has been one long 
triumph, where all have offered admiration, all paid 
homage. And yet, dear reader, her career, how- 
ever dazzling, her success, however brilliant, has 
not been attended without some exhaustion. Even 
she has sometimes felt lone in the crowded drawing- 
room. At the close of all, is there not a void that no 
earthly good can fill? Ah ! if she is just to herself, 
she will answer there is a void. A "season in Wash- 
ington" — pleasant, but evanescent ; a thing of vapor, 
bound by a chain of gilded water-drops. 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 357 



CXII. 

SOJOURN AT THE VIRGINIA SPRINGS— SEN. BATES— COL. HAYNE— 
PROF. BLEDSOE— PROF. PRATT. 

Virginia Springs, August, 1858. 

Among the guests afc this popular resort, (where 
we have determined to spend a season,) is the re- 
cently elected Senator from our own little State, 
Delaware, Plon. Daniel Bates. Mr. B. is distin- 
guished in his own section as a profound and able 
lawyer, and a gentleman of the highest personal 
character. We have also the venerable Col. Mor- 
ris, a native of South Carolina, though a resident 
on his own beautiful estate, (Morrisania,) Harlem, 
New York. This gallant and chivalrous relic of the 
" old school," is nephew of the celebrated " Gover- 
neur Morris," who was appointed Minister to the 
Court of France by General Washington, and pro- 
nounced at that Court the handsomest man of his 
day. 

The lady of Mr. W., a planter from Alabama, was 
in a rose-colored glasse silk, with costly flounces of 
superb lace. Prominent in the ball-room, was a fine- 
looking youth of some twenty years, Mr. D. of Nat- 
chez, Mississippi, the only son of his mother, a widow. 
There was present also a sweet dimpled-face, with 
wavy brown hair and eyes of the mildest blue. 

The marine corps of Washington has been ad- 



358 LIFE IN WASHINGTON, AND 

mirably represented here in the person of Lieu- 
tenant T. His gallant bearing, agreeable manners, 
and uniformly correct deportment, have won general 
respect. The commercial world has been also repre- 
sented by the gentlemanly bankers, Messrs. Fant and 
Rittenhouse. The interesting lady of the former 
has been much admired. 

But the established favorite of the ladies here is 
Col. Hayne, of Charleston. It requires no close ob- 
servation to read, in the refined simplicity of this 
gentleman's manners, the genuine kindness of his 
heart. He seems to bear within himself a standard 
of lofty honor and pure sentiment, which the oppo- 
site sex are not slow to perceive and recognize. 
His manners might serve as a model for that of a 
perfect gentleman of the old school. He amuses our 
belles with anecdotes of his varied and incidental life 
in the countries he has visited and the wonders he 
has seen. 

We have several specimens of the Old Line Whig 
'party ^ who are scattered about in a very loose way, 
and seem sadly in want of a leader. For ourselves, 
we admire antiquity — even the relics of this glorious 
party have a charm for us. 

Among the most regretted departures of the sea- 
son have been the family of Col. AY. of Alabama. 
The engaging appearance and lovely manners of his 
daughters have won the admiration of all who are 
capable of appreciating that sweetness of temper 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 359 

which constitutes the charm of social life at a water- 
ing-place. 

Among the late arrivals are Judge Tuck and ladj, 
of Annapolis, Maryland. The countenance of the 
latter is clouded with sadness. Nothing seems to 
change the expression of a face that tells a sad tale 
of a recent funeral in her home; of a room made 
dismal forever by the presence of a coffin and a lit- 
tle motionless ridge upon the bed. 

As she sits with her abstracted look, it almost 
seems as if a little white phantom would rise to meet 
her ; as if a laughing voice would start up beside her. 

Alas ! the faltering step will no more be heard ; 
the dimpled face rest never more upon her knees. 
The nursery may be the same in its accustomed fur- 
niture, and tokens of a recent presence may be scat- 
tered about: moveless, broken toys, pieces of dis- 
sected dolls; or they may have been stealthily re- 
moved to some spot sacred to that child's memory. 
But there is no trace of occupation there. Reader, 
you who have lost a child, your eyes will brim with 
tears as you read this, and you can guess from the 
strength of your own loss what such a blank is. 

Here, too, we have Professor Bledsoe, of the Uni- 
versity of Virginia, an earnest and single-hearted 
man, who, more than most studious men, forms a con- 
necting link between the past and the future. Em- 
phatically a scholar in his habits and tastes, devoted 
to the labors of his responsible position, avoiding the 



360 LIFE IN WASHINGTON, AND 

scenes of public life and popular applause, seeking 
his highest inspiration in the investigation of his fa- 
vorite themes, he makes a more profound impression 
on the world than can be readily imagined by those 
who are insensible to the subtle character of the 
scholar's influence. We believe it is conceded that 
this gentleman is far in advance of his cotemporaries, 
both in just conceptions of the purposes of education 
and in sound and exact learning. 

The guests had, on Sabbath last, an intellectual 
treat, by the Rev. Dr. Cummins, of Washington, in 
an able discourse of great power and eloquence. His 
subject was "The uses of life," and his arguments 
profound and masterly. He proved, beyond the 
power of contradiction, that life was a discipline 
only. He laid bare the hollowness of life pursued 
in any other light. 

We felt, as we listened, that another name might 
one day be added to the roll of Delaware's illustrious 
sons. Dr. C. is yet young, and we predict for him 
a brilliant maturity. He seems (unlike many in his 
profession) to follow his high calling from a love of 
doing good, not because it is expedient or conducive 
to maintaining an advantageous position in the world. 

Professor Pratt, of the University of Tuscaloosa, 
is also here, and preached on last Sabbath. His 
sermon was about heaven, and there was such a pa- 
thos in his tones, that all who heard him felt that he 
spoke of that which he did know. All of life looked 



LIFE HEKE AND THERE. 361 

empty and worthless, save the one narrow path — the 
path leading sometimes over rugged hills, where 
sharp stones goad the weary feet, sometimes through 
green pastures and beside still waters of peace. 



XCIII. 

DRESS BALL— MISS H.— MRS. HINSTON. 

Virginia Springs, August, 1858. 

The hours devoted to dinner and the evening nap 
were over yesterday sooner than usual, and, at an 
early hour, at many up-stairs windows lights might 
be seen which marked where our belles were trying 
our Abigails' patience. By eight o'clock the chande- 
liers in the ball-room displayed a blaze of illumina- 
tion ; light strains resounded under its roof, and 
light footsteps re-echoed their inspiration. When 
we entered, the graceful Lancers were being danced, 
and we prepared ourself to enjoy the pleasure pro- 
duced after long estrangement from this fascinating 
quadrille. 

"What a beautiful sight it was ! Floating away to 
that bounding music, — now far away, like garlands 
of fairies, now near, showing us lovely women, with 
every ornament of graceful dress. Bright colors 
flashed on the eye, and were gone, and succeeded by 
others as lovely in the rapid movements of the dance. 
31 



862 



Smiles dimpled every face, and tones of happiness 
murmured indistinctly through the room in every 
pause of the conversation. 

We will, dear reader, separate some of the figures 
that formed this joyous and brilliant whole, though 
we cannot attempt to do justice to the raven tresses, 
fair hair, blue, black, hazel, and all manner of colored 
eyes, dimples, blushes, ruby lips, white teeth, pretty 
feet, and gentle accents. 

The first object that caught our eye in the rapid 
mazes of the Lancers was the belle emphatically of 
the evening. Miss II., of Eutaw, Alabama, whose 
serene face, tranquil gentleness of manner, and femi- 
nine composure, present a beautiful contrast to the 
flippant levity of too many here. This very lovely 
person was in simple white ; her hair of a deep, dark 
auburn, parted plainly over eyes such as always ac- 
company this rare shade of hair, — eyes of a warm, 
clear brown. As this volume goes to press we re- 
ceive the cards to Miss H.'s w^edding with a talented 
young Representative from Tennessee, Col. Wright. 

Mrs. Hinston, a young married lady, sister of 
Miss H., was present in a superb brocade silk, a 
substance boasting the consistency of wainscoat of 
moderate solidity, in which Lady Washington might 
have appeared on the occasion of the first levee. 

In the same quadrille was a young bride from 
Florida, Mrs. Gamble, slender and graceful in figure, 
with large, soft, dark eyes like a child's ; and, near 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 363 

by, Miss W., of Warrenton, the most buoyant, joy- 
ous being, whose smile and voice find an unerring 
way to the heart. 

Mr. R., a talented young member of the bar, 
from Montgomery County, was one of the prominent 
beaux of the evening. 

In the same quadrille, dressed with great simpli- 
city in white mull, was Miss Bessie , of Savan- 
nah, Ga., — the charm of our house, a sweet little 
fairy, who thinks it possible for a little lady to lead 
a very pleasant life without being assisted in 
her expenses or disturbed in her diversions by 
a gentleman calling himself her husband; in other 
words, is provokingly disposed to have her own 
way, not being matrimonially inclined. Our peer- 
less rival, in a robe of French muslin, with basque of 
lace and velvet, presented, on this evening, a perfect 
type of the old ideal loveliness worshiped in the 
groves and temples of Greece. Superb creature! 
with her regal form and high-bred face, there is a 
charm in her manners which is, to us, irresistible. 
And that pretty little snow-drop from Warrenton, 
who says her say in so pleasant and unpretending a 
manner; and Miss W., of Baltimore, so ethereal 
looking, so fair — not as daylight, but as moonlight. 
Poor girl ! she had been hunted into a corner by one 
of her throng adorers, who is affected by those elec- 
tric influences too often exercised by single ladies of 



364 



LIFE IN WASHINaTON, AND 



large fortune over single gentlemen of moderate 
means. 

Among the seated spectators we noticed the ho- 
norable member from Virginia, Mr. Letcher, who is 
recognized as one of the first men of his State, and 
already quoted, by the voice of fame, for its highest 
political honors. In Congress this gentleman makes 
few splendid outbursts, is little cited for eloquence, 
and few rave about him as an orator ; and yet, prac- 
tical men see in him the unboasting Hercules, whose 
shoulder is ever to the wheel of his party. 

Sitting permanently benched beside the honorable 
member from Virginia was a group of gentlemanly 
fellows^ as they are termed, with nothing to say and 
nothing to do, and fulfilling both duties entirely to 
their own satisfaction. 

Among the late arrivals are Mr. J. I. Middleton, 
of Georgetown, S. C, (son of our former Minister 
to Russia,) and lady, — the latter a lovely woman, in 
delicate health, with traces of great beauty. She 
has an intonation of voice and winning charm of 
manner, while Mr. M. seems to possess a fund of 
information on all subjects, unfailingly agreeable, 
with no effort in his conversation, nothing over- 
strained in the tone of his mind. The total absence 
of pretension are merits which the artificialities of a 
watering-place would render doubly attractive. 

We have the presence also of Mr. Ingraham, 
planter, from Louisiana, and brother of the distin- 



LIFE HERE AND TIIEE-E. 365 

guished lawyer of that name in Philadelphia ; Mr. 
Tabor, of Charleston, brother of the lamented edi- 
tor of ih.Q Mercury ; Mr. Ravenel, of the same city, 
and Mr. Townsend, a talented young member of the 
bar from Marlborough district, South Carolina. 

The navy is admirably represented in the person 
of Captain P. of Philadelphia, whose very step has 
a quarter-deck brevity; while his fine manners and 
gallant bearing command universal respect. 

Among the guests here is Mr. D., a planter from 
Louisiana, son of the former Chief-Justice of Mary- 
land. The lady of this gentleman is known as one 
of the most brilliant and intellectual woman in the 
South. Estimable and excellent, she seems like re- 
fined gold amid the baser metals of society. The 
sister of Mrs. D., a beautiful girl from Natchez, 
Mississippi, who was, last summer, the belle of the 
"White Sulphur," is also here. But, alas! no longer 
the star of the ball-room, but in close mourning for 
the death of an idolized mother. Miss E. has a 
face such as Titian would have delighted to paint, 
the expression of the eye being such as the old 
artists used to lend to the celestial beings whose hair 
bordered on golden, as the natural accompaniment 
of a transparent complexion. 

The ball closed with a Scotch reel ; and not a son 
of the mist could throw his Highland fling more ar- 
dently, or enjoy the sparkle which inspires the efibrt, 
than those who went through this closing figure. We 
31* 



366 LIFE IN WASHINGTON, AND 

love a Highland reel ; it is one of the pleasantest little 
bits of madness in the world. When Pope wrote 
about "wafting the soul above upon a jig," he was 
clearly thinking of a Highland reel. 



XCIV. 

PUBLIC MEN— SCENE IN THE GALLERY. 
Virginia Springs, August, 1858. 

The appearance of several eligible honor ahles dur- 
ing the past week has caused an intense sensation 
among the belles of "Virginia Springs." The tran- 
quil cabins are in an uproar. A fair nullifier from 
South Carolina walked over the lawn, under an 
umbrella, during a heavy shower, to acquaint a belle 
from the Umpire State with the news of an honorable 
member s arrival. But the anti-slavery beauty was 
not the one to be startled into a confession of satis- 
faction. He might be pro-slavery; and if so she 
should not be introduced to him. In vain the fair 
fire-eater protested that we never allowed political 
predilections to interfere with watering-place socia- 
bility. The fair anti was inflexible. 

But this is only an exceptional case ; the rest of 
the feminine world are in ecstasies. As to the 
dandy beaux, they are indignant at this uproar 
about men who tie their cravats as they cord their 



LIFE IIEEE AND THERE. 367 

portmanteau, — that men wlio dress like dustmen and 
wear such cravats should presume to rival them. 

But honorable members are here recognized by other 
signs than careless toilets and flaccid collars. There 
is no mistaking them even here; their very jokes are 
parliamentary ; and they have been so long accus- 
tomed to rise to explain, that they find it difficult to 
accomplish such an evolution in a sitting position. 
Their anecdotes are authenticated by dates; they 
always speak as if before a committee, and scarcely 
know how to leave a room without the ceremony of 
pairing off. 

They are happily unconscious of the interest 
taken in their movements. Engrossed heart and 
soul in public life, they look upon watering-places 
as resorts where politicians congregate during the 
hot weather to form plans for the ensuing session, 
and commit those follies which men commit who 
hunt after popularity. They have not a thought to 
waste upon the ladies, except as part and parcel of 
their fathers, who may be men of some account to 
their party, and to be conciliated through the medium 
of their pretty daughters. 

Dear readers, we wish you could see the scene 
which meets our eye as we write ! It is a golden 
evening, and the setting sun is streaming through 
the leaves of a beautiful linden which waves before 
our window. Out beyond, under the calm sky, 
veiled with a mist rather than with a cloud, rise the 



368 LIFE IN WASHINGTON, AND 

high, dark outlines of the mountains, shutting in 
the circHng cahins as if they lay in a nest. We 
could fancy that in a scene so lovely no care or woe 
could enter, but would be charmed away and disap- 
pear before the sight of these glorious guardian 
mountains. But, alas ! we know the truth that 
earth has no barrier which avails against the envy 
and malice of the world. 

On the gallery below us the scene is most animated. 
In one corner sits a young bride in all the ruminative 
misery of her first widowhood. Not far off, a baby in 
placid dignity in her nurse's arms. The fresh, soft, 
feachy complexion is really tempting, and a fair girl 
goes up to coo and smile at the wee thing, and she is 
about to snatch a kiss, when baby lifts up his sturdy 
right arm and hits his tormentor a great blow in the 
face. Near by, the fine-looking resident-physician 
(Dr. Davidson) is listening with resignation to a 
cross-questioning concerning the nature, progress, 
and result of spring number two, three, and four. 
Another is inquiring for the health of Mrs. , sug- 
gesting in a delicate manner the utility of biscuit- 
powder and goat's whey. In another direction, a 
sweet, interesting young widow from Norfolk is lis- 
tening to a Buena Vista hero, who is telling cam- 
paigning tales that would fill volumes of the standard 
novels, recounting hair-breadth 'scapes in confla- 
grated convents and slaughtered villages. Sweet 
Mrs. W., with your gentle manner and youthful 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 369 

face, long^ long shall we remember the touching 
story of your early bereavement, so artlessly told to 
us with quivering lip and moistened eye. 

The solemn stars of the "Virginia Springs" had 
witnessed their betrothal, and the green forest-leaves, 
fluttering their fresh lips together, murmured it to 
each other ; and in a few months he carried the 
holy vow to heaven and saw it engraved on angelic 
tablets. 

Near the entrance-door a young mother is holding 
a chubby hand soothingly between her own, and 
singing with a faint, soft voice a little lullaby hymn, 
the child nestling in her bosom and sweetly sleeping. 
In another direction the handsome member of a 
celebrated mercantile firm in Macon, Georgia, is 
surrounded by a circle of our belles^ who are listen- 
ing to a searching criticism on the genuineness of a 
jpoint-lace handkerchief which has been submitted to 
his critical eye. This gentleman, of the firm of 
"Bostick & Kein," is widely known as the Stewart 
of the South, his importations being confined entirely 
to ladies' wardrobe. Right under our window (most 
provokingly interrupting us every ten minutes) are 
the beaux of the-" Virginia Springs," a refined and 
gentlemanly young lawyer from Montgomery, a 
handsome young widower from Tallahassee, Florida, 
and a stylish new-comer, a Mr. H., from Savannah, 
Georgia, who is already a bright particular star with 
our belles. 



370 LIFE IN WASHINGTON, AND 

Apropos of this State. It has certainly sent 
most lovely women and most interesting masculines 
to the "Virginia Springs;" and children, too — 
sweet little Annie T. from Augusta, with her sil- 
very, care-free heart-laugh, which we love so to hear 
from children, and whose exquisite performances 
on the piano made our idle helles blush for very 
shame. And Mr. Cobb, with his interesting family. 
Ah ! Mr. Secretary, you stand high in the world as 
a wise politician ; but your brother has looked above 
even that, — his beautiful life showing that there is a 
higher need than mere worldly success! Georgia 
may well be proud of this to us very interesting 
family. 



xcv. 

SCENE ON THE LAWN— ENGLISH LORD INCOG. 

ViEGixiA Springs, August, 1858. 

The mornings pass here as mornings ever pass 
where pretty wojnen are met together. Some read, 
some play, some work, all talk. Here a purse, half 
made, promises, when finished, to make some hero 
happy. Then there is a chat about the latest fa- 
shions, caps, and bonnets. As the day grows old, 
parties scud over meadows, gallop down hills, scam- 
per through valleys ; some of the gentlemen shoot 
all day, and in the evening fall asleep just when 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 371 

they are wanted. With all, your appearance is your 
own act. If you like, you may remain, like a nun, 
in your cell till dinner time, but no later. Privacy 
is granted you through the day that you may not 
exhaust your powers of pleasing before night, and 
that you may reserve for those favored hours all the 
new ideas that you have collected in the course of 
the day. 

As we write, the parlor and lawn are filled with a 
gay multitude. A lady and gentleman are at the 
piano, and we have had a crashing sonato of the high- 
pressure instrumental school, as if they were bring- 
ing the sky, and the earth, and the two extremities 
of the instrument together. A flirtation on the sofa 
was disturbed by this rattling of keys, and chaotic 
confusion of sharps, flats, and naturals ; and one of 
the two looked as if he felt fully capable of the man- 
slaughter of the gentleman who was thus entertain- 
ing us. But for the fair singer's azure eyes and 
floating ringlets, he might have found it in his soul 
to include her in the massacre. 

The music on the lawn rings out the hour for tea, 
and from its recesses pour in the groups, making the 
smooth sward look like a plateau of animated flowers 
worked on green velvet. Ah ! those beautiful demi- 
toilettes, so difficult to attain, yet, when attained, the 
dress most modest, most captivating, most worthy the 
grace of woman ! Those airy flats, sheltering from 
the sun, yet not enviously concealing a feature or a 



372 LIFE IN WASHINGTON, AND 

ringlet that a painter would draw for his exhibition- 
picture ! Those summery robes, covering the person 
more to show its outline better ; those complexions 
which but betray their transparency in the sun ; lips 
in which the blood is transparent when between you 
and the light ; cheeks finer-grained than alabaster ! 
The human race was at less perfection in the days 
of Cleopatra than to-day on the lawn at Virginia 
Springs. 

As the delicious music of a band steals up from the 
shade of a linden-tree, we will note a group approach- 
ing : Miss S., of Point Coupee Parish, La., whose com- 
plexion is in itself sufficient to entitle her to the claim 
of surpassing loveliness. We never saw a skin that 
so completely justified the old and hackneyed com- 
parison of the lily ; we never saw eyes that so com- 
pletely exemplified the equally worn-out simile of 
dovelihe. And yet, dear reader, this fairy, this 
sylph, is eating with voracity a huge loaf of maple- 
sugar. We should as soon have expected the Venus 
de Medecis to sup on cheese and onions, as for this 
ethereal creature to devour this damp substance. 
Indeed, maple-sugar constitutes the diet of many of 
our belles. The handsome masculine, who seems so 
perfectly satisfied to be at her side, is Mr. S., of Mo- 
bile, Alabama, who has been traveling abroad — not 
a galloping tour, the merit of which consists in the 
computation of so many hundred miles a week. He 
has brought with him to his native land a most in- 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 373 

teresting communicativeness — a facility in receiving 
and imparting impressions attained in continental 
society. We have learned from him a great deal of 
Italy — the classics, its modern writers, painters, his- 
torians, philosophers. 

We have had a member of the English nobility 
among the visitors here" this summer, (Lord Walms- 
ley, of "Westbourne Terrace," Hyde Park, Lon- 
don.) The distinguished gentleman traveled "incog.," 
and his titled dignity only transpired through the 
postmaster as he was upon the point of leaving. 
The effect, when it became known, was electrical: 
guests were neglected, the business of the establish- 
ment at a stand-still, and the departing "lord" be- 
came the nucleus of a reverential crowd, formed by 
waiters, who had decamped, leaving the stately head 
functionary to attend to the abandoned plates with 
his own hands ; and even he, coming out to look for 
them with "fell intent," forgot his anger and re- 
mained to see; chambermaids, too, who ran out on 
errands, with instructions to be quick, had heard the 
news; hostlers utterly reckless of their duty; and, 
on the gallery above, helles all curiosity and blushes, 
crowded up, some with their fiats, and some without. 
Even the driver of the Lexington stage, which drove 
up at the moment, instead of finding an obsequious 
waiter ready to catch the reins, and an admiring 
mob of idlers, stood utterly alone, entirely over- 
looked. 

32 



374 LIFE IN WASHINaTON, AND 

The unconscious object of all this excitement 
came slowlj out, his face wearing a look of English 
sternness ; and as he approached the stage the crowd 
made a large circle, and some little errand boys 
sprang from his path; one of our own little mulatto 
favorites stumbled in his haste, not pausing to rise 
again, but groveled out of reach, upon his hands 
and knees, as if he expected to be decapitated or 
run through the body; indeed, the little fellow 
seemed prepared for anything. 

However, the distinguished gentleman did not do 
anything of the sort, but took his seat with a very 
quiet air. A whisper passed along the awe-struck 
throng as the stage drove oiF, though nobody thought 
of leaving so long as a vestige of the vehicle was to 
be seen. 



XCVI. 

APPEARANCE OF THE AVENUE— HARPER & MITCHELL'S— GALT'S. 

Washington, October, 1S58. 

Our city presents unmistakable evidence of pre- 
paration for the opening of the season. Business, 
which has for months languished, is reviving with 
redoubled vigor. Pennsylvania Avenue is cleaning 
its windows ; Steven's fancy-store is embellished with 
lovely head-dresses, labyrinths of lace and flowers, 
from Broadway ; and Ford & Co. are refreshing their 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 375 

blue and red bottles with new infusions of indigo 
and cochineal. The plate-glass windows of Harper 
& Mitchell's elegant establishment exhibits fabrics 
worthy of a bazaar in the Boulevards^ — superb moire 
antiques, shawls which transport one to the vales of 
Cashmere, filmy handkerchiefs of Point d'Alengon, 
and exquisite breakfast-robes — Parisian chefd'oeuvres 
in style and tournure. 

Farther up the Avenue the doorway of Clagett & 
Co.'s large dry-goods emporium is blockaded with 
fresh boxes, bales, and crates — bales of India goods 
with an aroma of the tropics about them, and boxes 
from China which establish a mystic connection with 
short Chinese, with impassible feet thrust into im- 
practicable shoes. The head clerks may be seen 
writing rapidly, taking invoices of goods, and sur- 
rounded by piles of paper, patterns, specimens — 
everything that covers the desk of a flourishing mer- 
chant. 

Little farther on, in the elaborately finished new 
store of Gait k Brother, you may find an architec- 
tural beauty equal to that of which the Ispahan 
architects dreamed, and jewels as splendid as the 
Orientals described. The spirit of beauty might be 
pleased to sit invisible in this superb establishment. 
Pearls and precious stones from every part of the 
earth, goblets and vases of every form and shape, 
meet the eye. "Without moving, one seems to be cir- 
cumnavigating the globe. Beautiful sets of mosaics, 



376 LIFE IN WASHINGTON, AND 

like old Venetian scenes unpainted, transplant us to 
other climes where the sun shines, the birds sing, 
and flowers bloom forever. Sets of coral wrought 
into a hundred exquisite elaborations bring to our 
mind the remote sigh of the weary sea moaning 
around desolate coral reefs, the howl of winds and 
the sound of dashing water ; cameos, rifled from the 
sanctuaries of Italy, gods of Greece, and heroes of 
Rome, recall the imperial city, the fragrance of 
blossoming vineyards, orange groves, and gorgeous 
priestly processions. 

In the mirrors and Psyche-glasses one may see re- 
flected bronze and alabaster statuettes, lifelike repre- 
sentations of exquisite beauty, which might be put 
into the niches of palaces for ornament. Small Cu- 
pids of perfect form, mailed warriors of old chivalry 
and romance, falconers holding fierce birds upon their 
wrists, and a Greek Antinous, with drooped head, 
and full, smooth limbs. 

Opposite, on the pavement of Parker & Brother, 
huge hogsheads may be seen perspiring brown sugar, 
and oozing slow molasses, as if nothing tropical could 
keep within bounds, but must continually expand 
and exude. 

The skill of the many-handed Washington carpen- 
ters have converted Willard's moderate dimensions 
into a colossal Hotel, with a finely-proportioned 
dining-room, capable of seating eight hundred per- 
sons. The house is entirely refurnished, and in the 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 377 

refitting they have avoided the gaudy superabund- 
ance of gilding by which so many Northern hotels 
are now disfigured. There is nothing gorgeous; all 
subdued, all in good taste, all calculated for use and 
personal enjoyment. The reception parlors were 
after the Parisian fashion : no mismatched tables of 
nick-nackery ; nothing that recalls the curiosity- 
shop is to be seen. 

The National Hotel, too, exhibits marks of great 
improvement, and seems to flourish admirably in the 
hands of the present accommodating proprietors. 
The kitchen was last year entirely demolished and 
new ranges and implements introduced, and the table 
is said to be remarkable for the excellence of its 
viands and the attention of its waiters, while the 
neat and admirably ventilated parlors present a 
gratifying contrast to their condition in years gone 
by. There has been no return of the sickness during 
the past or present year, and it seems in that respect 
to have entirely redeemed its character. 

But while rejoicing in these signs of our city's 
prosperity, we have heard, with a thrill of sympathy, 
that our friends in the South have been visited with 
the terrible fever, which has brought deep affliction 
to many a household. We have shuddered at the 
accounts which have reached us of clergymen dying 
in consequence of their attendance, of the swift mor- 
tality, not merely among the decently poor, but 
32* 



378 LIFE IN WASHINGTON, AND 

among the higher classes of society. From all this 
we have been mercifully spared. The pestilence has 
passed us by ; law and order is restored to our city ; 
riot and bloodshed no longer reign supreme. 



XCVII. 

DEATH OF SIR GORE OUSELEY'S SON. 
Washington, November, 1858. 

A HEGRETTED chasm has been made in our social 
world by the departure, to Central America, of Sir 
Gore Ouseley and his amiable and accomplished wife. 
A heavy family affliction, the sudden death of their 
eldest and only remaining son, which occurred a few 
months since, excited much sympathy in our commu- 
nity. The deceased had been appointed Secretary of 
Legation to his father, (whom, it is known, is here as 
Envoy Extraordinary to Central America,) and was 
preparing to join his parents, when he was seized 
with the fever of the country, and died at Assumption, 
the capital of Paraguay, after twenty-four hours' ill- 
ness. This lamented youth gave great promise of 
literary distinction, inheriting the fine literary talents 
of his father, who is the author of " South Ameri- 
can Sketches," and several other papers of much 
interest ; also the fine taste of his grandfather, the 



I 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. 379 

late learned Oriental scholar, who was Ambassador 
to Persia, and published many works on Eastern 
antiquities, leaving a mine of Oriental and classical 
learning that will remain a monument of his great 
industry and talent. His mother. Lady Ouseley, is 
an American lady, (Miss Van Ness,) whose father 
was our Ambassador to Spain. She has resided, 
since her marriage, in Europe, and has visited most 
of the courts on the Continent, with her husband, 
in his diplomatic capacity. 

The deceased's proficiency in languages was very 
remarkable. At the age of seventeen he became 
master of the French, Spanish, German, and Portu- 
guese languages ; then turned his attention to Ori- 
ental literature, and, in a short time, mastered all 
the difficulties of the Persian language, and could 
read it with facility. He was, from childhood, a 
great student, and left many valuable manuscript 
notes of the various countries he had visited before 
he was twenty-one, giving immense information on 
their productions, customs, etc. At the time of his 
death he was studying the Hebrew, wishing to read 
the Bible in the original. In his last letter to his 
mother he speaks of his progress in Hebrew ; that 
it was already free from the darkness that enveloped 
it at first ; and expressed great happiness at the light 
that had all at once burst into the darkness of that 
old language, making a moon at midnight. 



380 LIFE IN WASHINGTON, AND 

He is said to have been a most devoted and aJBfec- 
tionate son, the only sorrow he ever caused his 
parents being that of his death. His early and pre- 
mature loss is the stone rolled to the door of the 
sepulchre that shuts in all the sunshine of his father's 
life. Since the news of his son's death, old age ap- 
pears to have come suddenly upon him, seaming his 
face with premature wrinkles. In all this city there 
has been to us no sight so touching as his whitened 
hair, which this heavy dispensation had, in a few 
weeks, changed from iron-gray. 

We are told that "whom the gods love die young," 
and, we must believe, that a wise Providence has 
freed his fettered spirit from its prison of clay and 
translated its noble energies to a wider sphere of ac- 
tion, where its enlarged desire for knowledge shall 
find the food, so earnestly craved on earth, without 
uneasiness or exhaustion. 

His death-bed — although no cool maternal hand 
bathed his hot forehead, or wiped away the damps of 
the death-agony — was cheered by devoted attention. 
All that human skill could do to alleviate pain or 
save life was done ; and one of the greatest sources 
of consolation that his bereaved parents have, is the 
assurance that God's fiat, and not man's negligence, 
was the cause of their great loss. 

In a lonely graveyard in South America rest the 
remains of this gifted and idolized son. Far from 



LIFE HERE AND THERE. -381 

the hum and shock of men, the waters of the Platte 
flow tranquilly by. The budding leaves of spring, 
expanding into the greenness and beauty of summer, 
shed their fragrance around his tomb. 

" Henceforward, when the warm, soft breath of spring 
Bids cowslips star the meadows thick and sweet ; 
"When doves are in the green wood murmuring, 
And children wander with delighted feet ; 
Alas ! that spring-time will be welcomed with a sigh, 
For thy lamented sake, who was so young to die." 

We have had the pleasure of a delightful visit 
from that brilliant authoress and accomplished wo- 
man, Mrs. Octavia Le Vert, of Mobile. Her look 
of youthfulness is such that, until the announcement 
of her name, we supposed it was Miss Le Vert, her 
daughter. During her stay she fascinated us by a 
delightful flow of varying conversation, a descrip- 
tion of " Sunnyside," where she had been on a visit 
to "Washington Irving; and "Idlewild," Mr. Willis's 
picturesque home on the Hudson ; and anecdotes of 
3Iount Vernon, which she had visited the day pre- 
vious. Her conversation is remarkable for enthusi- 
asm and power of expression, and her delightful 
animal spirits seem to be one of her choicest gifts. 
Lively, brilliant, she seems the favorite of every so- 
ciety she enters, and, in many respects, resembles 
that, to us, most lovely person, Mrs. Ritchie, a lady 
who possesses excelling qualities of heart, worth all 



V- 



382 



the talent in the world. We hope it will not be long 
before we look each other in the face again. 

Our city is rapidly filling up with the families of 
those who design passing the winter in the metro- 
polis. The more brilliant and dashing are engaging 
rooms in those smaller worlds, the National, Wil- 
lard's and Brown's; while the more retiring and un- 
ostentatious are filling up the "Kirkwood House." 
The limited capacity and admirable regulations of 
this establishment give it much of the quiet of a 
well-ordered private family. 

The Senate-chamber will be ready for the recep- 
tion of that distinguished body. We think the ob- 
jectors to the "House Hall" can find no ground for 
reasonable objections to this superb chambcir. It re- 
flects infinite credit upon the accomplished superin- 
tendent and architect. Captain Meigs and Mr. Wal- 
ter. We regret that the hurry of going to press pre- 
vents us giving a full description of this really mag- 
nificent room. 



XCVIII. 

CLOSING SKETCH. 

WAsmxGTOx, November, 1858. 

Dear reader, the pages allotted us to fill are ex- 
pended, and our pen waits only the pause of our 



* ^fj 



5^/# 



LIFE HEEE AND THERE. 383 

fingers to conceal us from your view. We have gone 
into stifling crowds, in over-heated rooms, that we 
might present you with *' Sketches of FasJiionahle 
Life^'' as it exists in the metropolis of the nation. 
Much that is good and elevating we find there. 
There is a holy domestic life, there are quiet homes 
and easy parlors — Jiomes where abide the deepest 
springs of social life; homes where gentle memories 
steal upon us ; quiet firesides that the whirl of gay 
life cannot encroach upon — a phase of life utterly 
unknown to the temporary dwellers at our hotels. 

Much is said abroad of vice and wickedness in 
Washington. We think this impression is formed by 
those visiting us for a few weeks, and who, without 
really seeing anything of citizen life, go away dis- 
gusted with what they call ^'our society.'' True, we 
see much to weary and disgust; much toad-eating 
and fawning; friends supplanted and deserted; men 
who were once stars, forgotten and flung aside. We 
see also the little faults of great men ; talent toiling 
thanklessly, leading a weary life in the service of 
their party. But we see that which makes our hearts 
beat with admiration and gratitude. We see men 
rich in no possession but mind, standing on a high 
platform, carving their names on the roll of fame, 
and exercising an influence which no piled-up wealth 
could command. We find the dearest ties of earth 
bound up in family circles of love and afiection. 



c^. 



384 LIFE IN WASHINGTON, ETC. 

We find noble hearts in public life who do their 
dutj; philanthropists who regard the highest wel- 
fare of their race. 

Be just and shake us kindly by the hand at part- 
ing, and let us indulge the hope that you have been 
beguiled into idling away a few hours of your pre- 
cious life by an agreeable companion, who sincerely 
hopes that her few little flowers, gathered by the 
wayside of ''Life' here, may be acceptable, their 
fragrance grateful, and their fragility pardoned. 



THE END. 



1 r . I .-•"'Q 



